The Bonds of Friendship
by Kristoph Reads
Summary: Athrodar Sunblade is a Lieutenant Ranger who has been sent on a secret mission in the name of Silvermoon itself. What he doesn't know is the nature of this mission, or what it entails for him. He meets new friends on the way, and reunites with old ones. But to their dismay, he isn't the same as he was when he left. Romance/Friendship/Adventure.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: If you have any constructive criticism that you want to give me, feel free! This is going to be the first of many chapters, so I would like as much feedback as possible, whether it's positive or negative (Hopefully to improve on the work) and whether or not you would like to read more.**

 **The Hawkstrider Part 1**

Quel'Thalas, Ancient kingdom of the Blood Elves, and my home. My name is Athrodar Sunblade. I'm a Lieutenant Ranger of Silvermoon. Like most days, me and the company I'm in patrols Southern Quel'Thalas, now known as the Ghostlands. This day was no different. We go out. Patrol around the same stretch of dense forestry. Most days pass by uneventful, some days we're lucky to have a small skirmish against the Amani Trolls in the area. At least we would be doing something when the trolls attacked. But like most days, this one passed by uneventful.

Some days we'll battle scourge remnants that remained there after the third war. Still as deadly as they were when they first invaded, they were not something to be taken lightly. Although nowadays they were easier to dispatch, due to us knowing how to kill them.

During these days however, I would pass the time by sparring with other rangers at each checkpoint. Honing in my skills every day, as I believe one day without training is a day lost to boredom. My skills with a bow were something to behold. Top of my class during my days at the academy, I was told I would rise up through the ranks and reach captain in no time. My skills with sword and dagger weren't far behind. I would train with these more as I believe them to be the last line of defence in a fight where using a bow wouldn't work. All rangers were good with their weapons, great in fact compared to the humans. Though most preferred bow over sword, they were still as good as they needed to be.

My time with his company was coming to an end. We would soon return home and rotate companies, visiting family and friends for a much needed rest. Returning from the front lines for a month to recuperate and refill our company with the reserve units.

I loved the rides home, as I would get to spend time with the friend I grew up with. Vilandil Dawnstrider was his name. Unlike myself, he was a Blood Knight, versed in the ways of melee combat, infused with light. Exactly like a paladin, except these were blood elf paladins, not human.

We grew up together, friends since birth, and we were inseparable. It was only when Vilandil had noticed his calling to the light, that we didn't spend every waking minute with each other, pulling pranks on his younger sister, Thalina Dawnstrider, and doing general kid stuff. This didn't destroy our friendship however. No, it strengthened it even more.

After our time apart, we would meet up by Elrendar river, hire a fishing boat, and catch up on what we've done in our time apart. Vilandil would ask about Southern Quel'Thalas, how the cleansing of the Scourge was going, and the fight with the Amani Trolls. I would ask about my family, and how Vilandil's family were.

"Thalina is becoming quite the mage," Vilandil said "She's made it up the ranks, and is now and adept."

I was surprised at this bit of news. I have known Thalina all her life, seeing as she was younger than me, but I had rarely seen her use of magic for myself. "Congratulate her for me, old friend."

"Congratulate her yourself, she's coming home today to celebrate with our families." He clapped my shoulder "She's been away from home longer than you have this time, my parents are looking forward to having her back for a couple of weeks."

"I can't wait. As long as your mother is the one cooking, I don't want a repeat of last time when Thalina tried a hand at it." I laughed at the memory "Light that was a disaster."

Vilandil laughed as well "Let's hope she doesn't try to do the cooking tonight. Although seeing as we're celebrating her from Apprentice to Adept, she'll try and act like a queen, telling her 'subjects' what to do."

We both shuddered at the thought of her bossing us about.

"We used to tease her when we were all younger." I said "This is going to be a long night"

"I can almost guarantee she'll make us work harder than the rest. Oh, I almost forgot. Get her something that would say congratulations."

I remembered her wanting a Hawkstrider for the longest time. She would always go on about how it had to be yellow at the beginning, and then orange, followed up by red at the end. The colours of fire.

"Well, lucky for her, I know what she would love." I grinned "This will lighten the load of what she will have me do."

"Whatever it is, split it with me. I don't want her full attention on me. I don't think I can survive two weeks of doing chores for her." His tone was pleading. I almost gave in to it.

"Sorry old friend, but seeing as you sprung this on me at the last minute, you're on your own."

"Fine. What is it you're getting my sister anyway?"

"Ah, that is for you to find out later Vilandil. Let's just say I know a guy who owes me a favour."

We finished our catch up time some minutes later, returned the boat to the docks and set off on our way to get Thalina her present.

"You do know where this path goes, right?"

"That I do, so it should be no surprise to know that I'm going to be getting your sister that Hawkstrider she has always wanted." I glanced over at Vilandil, seeing his face work out what I was talking about.

"Hawkstrider she has..." I could see the moment it clicked in his head "Oh! I can't believe I had forgotten about it! Some brother I am, right?"

I laughed "What you would do without me here to remind you of these things, I do not know. Besides, what did you get her?"

"What I got her, my inquisitive friend, is a robe I have heard is in fashion these days. Seeing as she is learning the arts of a fire mage, I got her an orange and red robe, with patterns of fire on the sleeves. Lucky for me it matches the Hawkstrider she wants."

He wasn't wrong there. Both our presents for her seemed to match rather well. It was almost like we had planned this for months. As we made our way up the road, we made it to the stables that housed several Hawkstriders. The ones on show were the basic one or two colour Hawkstriders. Black, red, yellow, orange, blue or green. But I knew this elf, I saved his daughter years ago from a Troll attack. She was barely starting puberty, her life had just started before they attacked their village. For this, he told me the next time I would need a Hawkstrider, he will discount the price. Half off.

He kept the best Hawkstriders at the back. He has this theory that those who would want the best of the best, had to go past all his other Hawkstriders first. By the time they get halfway, he believed he would have sold one of the plain ones first. He always kept the best Hawkstriders for special visitors.

After some catching up with the keeper, and him thanking me once again for saving his daughter, we made our way back home. The journey back was short, which was great because I couldn't wait to get back. It had been five months since my last trip home. On the road, we spent most of our times camping in the forests, which would have been fine before the scourge invaded. But seeing as they don't sleep. The number of us on night watch had to be doubled since then.

As we returned home, I moved the Hawkstrider to the local stables, out of the way of home for the time being, so Thalina wouldn't see it. Making my way back from the stables, I heard a sudden scream in front of me. It was my mother, and the scream wasn't a scared one, but one of joy to see her boy home.

"Athrodar!" She ran the distance into my arms. "I'm so glad you're home!"

She looked the same as she always had. Her long blonde hair down to the middle of her back. She still looked as young as we did, but with traces of grief lacing her features. She also looked a bit thinner than the last time I had seen her. Was she eating as much as usual?

I picked her up in my embrace and swung her around. "It's good to be back mother. How have you been?"

"Oh you know, coping with it all." My father had died whilst I was on duty. He had been ill for some time now, and we knew it would be soon. Mother had moved in with Vilandil's parents after it happened. She was friends with his mother, so was taken in willingly. "The last few months have been difficult with you being out there. But Driana has been kind to me and helped me along."

"I should have been here... We should have gone through this together."

She smiled at me "Hush now, you had your duty to follow. Silvermoon wont defend its forests without you." She hugged me tightly "Welcome home."

We walked into the home shared between our families. It was a big estate, on the outskirts of Silvermoon City. Our village was destroyed by the Scourge when it attacked, so we had to move in here as refuge. As time passed we moved nearby, the Dawnstrider family staying here. But when father died, mother moved back in, looks like we'll be calling this place our home now.

"Do we know when Thalina is expected to arrive?" I asked Driana, Mother of both Thalina and Vilandil. "Me and Vilandil got her gifts to say congratulations."

"She should be home soon, make yourself at home." She gestured to the couch "It's been a whilst since your were in this place, I hope you still remember where everything is. Telramar won't be making it home until after dark, but he knows you're going to be staying here for a month."

Who she was referring to was none other than Grand Magister Telramar Dawnstrider, her husband. He was part of Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron's council when it came to the magic's in Silvermoon.

"No worries, I'll speak with him tomorrow if he comes back whilst we're asleep." He always worked until late, but you can't blame him. With someone of that role, he was one of the important members of the council, so staying back late to deal with meetings and all things political was of the norm.

As me and Vilandil got settled in, we heard a knock at the door. Thalina was home, and she looked as beautiful as I remembered her. Unlike the rest of her family, she had chestnut red hair, done up into a ponytail, that she made her own. She had always wanted to be unique among others, going to the hair salon in Silvermoon whenever the dye in her hair started to fade. This wasn't often however, as she learned a few spells to keep in that colour as long as possible until it needed to be redone. Her skin was more tanned than the rest of her family, it must be all that time she spent in the sun, studying her school of magic in Silvermoon. She was also shorter than the average blood elf, not by much, but enough to notice the difference in height.

" _Minn'da!"_ She had always liked to use the Thalassian word for Mama and Papa, old habits I suppose. "Where's _Ann'da_? Is he staying late again?" Even to the untrained ear, you could notice the sadness that lined those words. She rarely got to see her father, seeing as he was busy with the council, and she had to study more often than not recently.

"I'm afraid so, sweetie." Driana stroked a lock of hair behind her daughters ear. "But Vilandil and Athrodar are here, and I believe they have gifts for you."

We made our way downstairs towards the living room where the three women were seated. "Big brother!" She ran into the arms of Vilandil and gave him a long hug. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, little sister," He pat her on the head and told her "I have a gift for you. Come, sit down."

They made their way to the closest empty couch, where she sat down waiting for her gift. Vilandil made his way to the kitchen, and grabbed a present from the top shelf. I couldn't help but smile, as I knew his reasoning for this was that she wouldn't be able to see, let alone reach it, he started to make his way back. I glanced over at her, noticing she was staring at me and not her brother. She saw me look over and quickly averted her eyes as if to show she wasn't looking. It would have worked too, if she wasn't slightly blushing when we locked eyes for the tiniest of moments.

 _What was that all about? All I did was look at her._ I thought nothing else of it.

"Here you go, my baby sister. This is my way of saying congratulations." He handed her the present, and without a second thought to it, she was ripping apart the packaging. We all laughed as she looked like someone possessed. She had always enjoyed presents, being the younger sibling, she was a princess in her parents eyes, and was showered with a lot of gifts.

"It's beautiful! The colours are what I would have chosen myself, and it's soft to the touch." She was beaming. Her smile was contagious as it lit up the room, everyone else was smiling too.

"I'm glad you like it. But this isn't the only gift you'll be getting today. Athrodar has gotten you something as well." I nodded once as she looked over to me. Seeing as my gift was outside, I beckoned everybody to follow. As we made our way outside, I told them all to wait by the house whilst I get the Hawkstrider.

Returning a minute later, Vilandil had blindfolded his sister, which made the excitement in her build up more as I physically saw her bouncing up and down, waiting for the gift. I made my way towards them, telling her to keep her eyes shut whilst I removed the blindfold. I then moved my hands over her eyes and whistled for the Hawkstrider to approach us.

"Be calm, and you'll be fine" I whispered in her ear.

I heard the gasps from both mothers as they knew what I had done. They both knew it was the Hawkstrider of her dreams, and for those few seconds, I could see tears growing in both their eyes whilst they stared at it.

"What did you do?" She whispered back to me, curiosity and excitement lacing her voice.

The Hawkstrider stood directly in front of her, which is when I removed my hands from her eyes. She was shivering with excitement as soon as I removed them. Placing my hands on her shoulders now, I leaned in to her ear and whispered " _Open_ ".


	2. Chapter 2

**The Hawkstrider Part 2**

What did he get me? It could be anything! His hands are over my eyes, I can smell him. He smells of the forest we had once known, of home, home that was destroyed by the scourge. Yet he would still smell of the forest. It was distinct only to him.

 _Athrodar_

"What did you do?" I whispered back to him, trying to stop my voice trembling from the rush of feelings that hit me.

He removed his hands from my eyes, then placed them on my shoulders to keep me still. I was shivering at the excitement, but also at his touch.

 _What's wrong with me? It's just my brothers friend!_

I was staring at him earlier, taking in his long golden hair protruding out from his hood. His well chiselled features, and how strong he looked in his Ranger attire. When he quickly glanced over to me I felt something, so I looked away quickly. It was only until my cheeks gave away a feint red blush did I realised I was feeling something for this man.

I could feel him leaning in towards my ear, saying the one word I was waiting for. " _Open_ ".

I did.

My heart flew to my throat quicker than I could think. He had gotten me my dream. How did he know? Better yet, how did he _remember?_ I haven't seen him for over a year, and when I did see him, I hadn't spoken about my dream Hawkstrider in front of him for almost a decade. I felt tears in my eyes, and running down my cheek. He remembered.

He removed his hands from my shoulders and I slowly walked towards the Hawkstrider. Hand out to touch its beak, the Hawkstrider sniffed it, and then nuzzled my hand when it realised I wasn't going to harm it. My other hand however, was clutching at my chest. My heart was racing faster than I would have thought possible. This man that I only see when we're both at home, got me the Hawkstrider of my dreams, because it was his way of saying congratulations to me as I got promoted from Apprentice Mage to Adept Mage?

It didn't make sense.

"So, What do you think?" He asked me. What do I think? I don't know what to think. I can't think at all right now. Was this real?

"H-How? W-When? What?" I was a loss for words.

 _Thalina you fool, speak!_

"Let's just say, I knew a guy who owed me a favour. Did I get the right one?"

Did he get the right one? This is the perfect one. The detail was all the same as I imagined it. The feathers would start off yellow, merging into orange and finishing as red. The colours of flames. I turned around to look at him, his hood was down, tears flowing freely down my face. I ran to him and embraced him before he could even react. He had done all of this for me? "Th-Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." I didn't want to let him go.

My brother leaned in towards Athrodar, "I take it as a yes."

He put his hand on top of my head, whilst I was still hugging him. "Come on, let's get you on this Hawkstrider, and you can take it for a ride." I simply nodded.

He moved me off him shortly after, turning me around and walking me to the Hawkstrider. Then, he lifted me up to the already attached saddle, and gave me a quick run down on what to do. I already knew how to ride, but he told me anyway. I nodded after he gave me the quick run down, wiping the tears from my face, I then set off to ride around the village.

At first the Hawkstrider was tentative towards me, but soon quickly came to recognise me as friend rather than foe. I hugged the neck of the beast whilst it started to sprint from one side of the village to the other. Passing the people who were walking about the place. I glanced over to my family and I saw _minn'da_ talking to Athrodar, who was merely looking at me, smiling the whole time. _Minn'da_ must have said something to him, because he looked at her for the first time since I started riding about. I wonder what she had said.

After what seemed like an eternity of joy with my new Hawkstrider, I brought her to a stop. Bringing her towards the stables outside our house. That was smart of Athrodar I suppose, hiding her in the village stables, otherwise I would have seen his gift before he gifted it to me. I hugged the Hawkstrider, who I've come to name ember, before walking back inside the house.

"... the Captain. I won't be long" I heard Athrodar say to my brother. My brother nodded and clapped him on the shoulder. He pulled his hood up and in an instant, he left off towards Silvermoon City.

"Where's he going?" I asked my brother shortly after, "I wanted to properly say thanks for the gift."

"He'll be back soon, he just has to report in to his Captain, give his latest report, casualties and then he should be on his way back. No more than a couple hours at most." He sounded certain on these points. I only nodded, staring at Athrodar walking off into the distance.

A few hours passed since Athrodar left. We had all settled around a long table, with food placed in the middle. _Minn'da_ 's cooking was always the best. I tried to cook once, it didn't go so well. I thought that using a magical fire would speed everything up. I was correct in this matter, but I didn't know how quickly it would cook. What would normally take at least two hours to cook everything, sped up to an hour. I didn't know how quickly it would cook, and before too long I could smell the food burning. I felt so embarrassed. I vowed from this day forward, If I was to ever cook meals for everyone, I would have to learn patience first.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I looked outside and saw it was raining. Not uncommon in this season, as winters veil was closing in. We all looked at each other until it dawned on us, Athrodar wasn't here. Quickly I got up from my seat and opened the door to a drenched elf who looked miserable. I could see he was physically shivering. In his defence, I would as well if I didn't think it would rain and went out in my uniform made for warmer weather. Thinking back to it, it was sunny a few hours ago. This rain must have hit fast.

"You're soaked!" His mother cried as he walked into the home. "Get upstairs quickly, and dry yourself before you catch something."

"Thalina, could you help him?" I jumped at the call of my name, not expecting _minn'da_ of all people to ask me that. I just stared at her for a moment before she called my name again. "Thalina?"

With a call of my name I was pulled back to reality, "Yes, sorry _minn'da_ , I'll help him." I took him upstairs to dry him off. Peeling his cloak off first, whilst he took off his boots and socks. His golden hair flowed freely now. It looked like thousands of silk strands coming off of his head, the urge to stroke his hair suddenly came upon me. Shaking my head I told him, "Let me go grab some towels to dry you off." Whether or not he heard me, I wasn't sure. He was just staring at a spot on the wall the whole time, seemingly lost in thought.

I returned with the towels shortly after, to find him with nothing but his ranger leggings on. I stopped in place and was staring at him. I don't know if it was minutes, hours or days that I stood there staring at his muscled chest. My heart was fluttering, and my cheeks were getting hot. Only when he looked at me and said my name was I pulled back to reality.

"Thalina?" He said again, I shook my head "I said can you pass me a towel please?" I blinked a couple of times, trying to push away the sudden urge to pounce on him, before making my way to him with the towels. "Sorry, here you go." I handed him a towel, and he started to dry off his chest. I grabbed another one and started to dry off his hair. I was lost in thought throughout the whole thing. _When did he get all this muscle? Has he always looked like this? What's happening to me? I keep staring at him and making a fool of myself when he asks me something more than once because I didn't hear it the first time._

Only when he called me name was I, once again, thrown back into reality. "Thalina, could I have some.. uhm... Privacy?" He looked at me in the eyes, and I just looked back into his, not registering what he was saying until he waved his hand in front of my face.

"Sorry... Yeah, sure. Let me get your wet clothes first, then you can have your privacy." Embarrassed, I quickly grabbed all the clothes he had taken off, and ran out the room. _Now I'm getting lost in his eyes? Get a hold of yourself!_

I placed his clothes over a fire place so they could dry. Making my way back to where dinner was being held, I sat back down and started to move food onto my plate. The conversation that was happening seemed to flow over my head whilst I was there. All I could think about was what could I possibly be feeling for this elf whom I've known my whole life, but known very little about. And more importantly, why was I feeling it.

The rest of the night seemed to be uneventful. Until _Ann'da_ came home earlier than expected. He and Athrodar caught up with each other, _Ann'da_ giving him his condolences about the passing of his father. _Oh! How did I forget, he lost his Ann'da recently, and all I could think about was why I was feeling what I was feeling._

"Athrodar" I spoke before I could stop myself. He turned towards me, and I walked over to hug him. "I'm sorry about your _Ann'da,_ I should have said it sooner." I felt wretched for not coming to him sooner about the loss of his father.

"Hey, come on. It's okay, I wouldn't expect you to hug and condole me about the loss of my father. It's my mother I'm more worried about." He nodded his head in her direction, "She could use all the love and comfort more than me." He pat me on the back and removed my grip from around him.

 _Why do I keep hugging him? I've done it more times today than I have in the past ten years!_

I looked up at him and he just smiled at me, squeezing my arms once before walking over to my brother. "Hey, I need to talk to you. Can we go somewhere more private?".

"Yes, sure. Come." Vilandil brought him outside, where it had stopped raining.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I followed them shortly after. Pressing my ear up against the door to try and hear what they were talking about. It was mostly muffled but what I heard was enough for me to know what was going on.

"Captain... Scourge... Three days... Sorry." From this alone I could only guess what was happening. His captain told him the Scourge has become a bigger threat, and he had to leave within three days to go back to the front line. As for the 'Sorry', I could only assume he was sorry for the short visit but he had to leave. His visits were normally a month, so to be going within three days will be a shock to everyone.

I could hear them coming back towards the house, so I quickly ran back into the living room and sat on the couch with _Minn'da._ Athrodar and Vilandil entered the room shortly after. Athrodar then went on to announce what he was just talking about with Vilandil outside. "Whilst I was in Silvermoon handing in my latest reports to my Captain, he had told me that the scourge have been multiplying in The Dead Scar recently, and look to be moving north towards the City. I have been tasked to lead a ranger unit to them as of tomorrow, but will return in three days after handing them over to the commanding officer over there."

 _Close enough._

"Before you all get worked up about it, he's only leading them to Tranquillien." Reassured Vilandil, "I'll be accompanying him on the journey. Would be nice to be doing something with him again."

"As long as you stay safe," Said Illana. She seemed worried she may lose her son after he has just returned from duty. "Come home as soon as possible."

"I will, mother. It will only be for three days." He looked over at me, "Sorry Thalina, we're going to miss out on three days of celebrations. But If you can wait that long, I'm sure we can all pick it up from there." He smiled at me after that. I could only nod.

"We best be start packing then. Come Athrodar." He clapped him on the shoulder.

Shortly after, we all began to retire to our beds. I walked past Athrodar's room, and I heard raised voices. So I stood by the door and pressed an ear on to it to listen. I could hear Vilandil. "What do I tell them when you don't return? Hm? Your mother has already lost her husband, and now it seems like she's about to lose you!"

 _About to lose him? It's only for three days. What could go wrong in an escort mission?_

"I... I don't know. Just tell her I'm sorry and that I love her with my heart. If I could, I'd stay. But I've been told to head back to Silvermoon after this mission. Apparently it's something important."

 _Back to Silvermoon? For what? Why does it sound like he's saying goodbye forever?_

"Lor'themar can't do this.. Surely not? You're the most hard worked and skilled young ranger we have right now. You're place is with your people! Not halfway around the world!"

 _Halfway around the world? What could he possibly be doing there? Where even is there?_

"That's exactly the reason why I'm being sent. He was told to send the best, and that apparently means me. What ever it is I'm being sent off to do, can't be sent by letter. He wants me to go to Silvermoon and talk to him there. Personally."

 _He's being sent on a mission, halfway across the world, though he has no idea what it's about?_

Vilandil sighs. "There's not much point arguing this with him, is there? He's now Regent Lord, so his word is law. Even if it does sound like a stupid idea to send our best on a mission he doesn't even fully know about."

 _Even the Regent Lord knows nothing of the mission? What sort of joke is this?_

"What do we tell your sister?"

"My sister? What does she have to do with this?"

 _Me? Why does he want to concern himself with me?_ I listen closely to what he has to say.

"You don't know? Your mother didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

 _Tell him what?_

"Your mother believes your sister has a crush on me. At first I didn't believe it, but after the way she's been acting today, and what your mother told me earlier, it seems more plausible now than it did."

"What did she tell you?"

"She told me that Thalina was staring at me whilst you were getting her gift, and as soon as I glanced at her, she looked away embarrassed and blushing. She also believes it all started that day we were climbing up trees back home. She tried to climb one as well, but fell and hurt her knee. Remember that? I told you to run back and get a priest, whilst I stayed back to make sure she was fine."

 _Minn'da! How could you spin such lies. I mean, they are lies. Right?_

"Yeah I remember that. What was it? Twenty or so years ago?"

"Somewhere around that, simpler times I suppose."

"I hadn't noticed... You don't think that's why she's been so.. _Physical..._ today? You know, with all the hugging?"

"Maybe. But I just thought it was because of the Hawkstrider. She had always talked about wanting one."

"If what my mother says is true. Buying the Hawkstrider may have pushed some of those _feelings_ out of her today."

 _I have been hugging him more than what I normally would have... No! Get a hold of yourself! It was just a thoughtful gift!_

"Anyway. I guess tell her that I'm sorry I couldn't stay to celebrate. I don't even know when I will return home. If I will return home."

 _He may not even come home... Will I never see him after this?_ A wash of despair came over me, and before I could even stop myself and think, I opened the door. I had tears in my eyes and my ears were drooped down, I starting walking towards Athrodar until I stood right in front of him. I looked up at his face and saw him looking at me shocked that I had heard it all.

"I'll take my leave, you two need to talk." Vilandil said, shortly before walking out the room.

It was just the two of us in the room. Vilandil had shut the door behind him to give us some sort of privacy. "Don't go..." I whispered. I didn't know what I was feeling. I had never felt this way before, yet whatever I was feeling at this moment, felt like it was tearing me apart inside.

He put his arms around me and pulled me close towards him. A new surge of tears hit me and I started crying into his chest. "Shh, it's okay." He whispered to me, "How much of it did you hear?"

"E-En-Enough" I replied, with great force to get my answer out. I was clutching on to the tunic he was wearing, as his ranger uniform was drying.

He put his hand under my chin and lift up my head to look at him. "I'm sorry it has to be like this, but I have a duty to Silvermoon first and foremost. I hope you can understand this."

 _How could I? He was leaving people that loved and cared for him, to fight for a city that barely knew him, other than as a rank._

 _People that loved and cared for him..._

 _I love him..._

I shook my head at the thought. It can't be true. Surely? I cared for him, sure. He was like family. He had always been close to my brother, so I saw him a lot when we were kids, even growing up. It wasn't until the last five or so years, that I hadn't seen him as often. But did I love him? Was it that much of a stretch?

"I don't want you to leave..." My throat constricting as I said it. I really didn't want him to go. Going to take the rangers to Tranquillien was one thing. But then to return to Silvermoon, just to be sent on a mission nobody knows much about, with the possibility of him never returning... I didn't want this.

 _Stop being selfish. He's serving his kingdom with great honour._

"I know. I don't want to leave either. Something about the lack of information for this mission doesn't seem right. But I have to take that risk, nobody else was called up to take it." Was it bravery, or blind loyalty? I wasn't sure at this moment. Perhaps I'll never fully understand why he was taking this mission.

"Athrodar..." I sniffed, "Can... Can I stay with you tonight? I don't want to be alone." I really didn't. He was leaving the next day, and I wanted to be with him as much as possible before then.

"Uh," he hesitated. "Yeah. Sure you can. Do you want to go change into pyjamas?" I nodded. "Okay, just knock on the door twice so I know it's you, and I'll unlock it." And so I left. I went to my room and quickly got dressed into a pair of pyjamas and made my way back to his room. I knocked on the door twice, and I heard it unlock. When I entered, he was standing by the door waiting for me, I walked over to him and hugged him. He picked me up and walked over to the bed and lay me on it. He then got into the bed with me and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer.

I rolled him onto his back and lay my head on his chest, where his heart is. He kissed the top of my head as I started to drift to sleep. " _I love you..._ " I whispered. Whether he heard me or not, I don't know. What I do know is that this may be the last chance I tell him that.

We slept the rest of the night like this, in each others arms.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Mission**

I woke up to find that she was still asleep on me. She told me last night that she loved me before she drifted off to sleep. What was I to do with this bit of information? The talk with Vilandil last night was loud enough for her to hear everything. Even the part where her mother had told me that she suspected Thalina had feelings for me. Was it brought on as her attempt to keep me here? Or did she actually feel this way for me? The latter didn't make sense, we barely saw each other these last few years.

I looked at her as she lay partly on me, her head still on my chest. She wasn't under the bed sheets, instead opting to lay on top of them. The pyjamas she had chosen left little to the imagination. Shorts that barely started to make their way down her legs, they may as well have been underwear. And a top the covered her chest, and left her abdomen exposed. She was pressed up against me tightly as if I was in her death grip. She had also let her hair down, something she rarely did, but everyone loved when she did. She had always argued that she preferred her hair up in a pony tail, as it would get in the way otherwise. She looked beautiful. Whatever her plan was to keep me here was working.

But as much as I would want to stay in bed with this woman after what happened last night, I had to leave soon to take the ranger unit to Tranquillien. She was very emotional at the thought of me leaving, this wasn't hard to notice.

I had slipped out from her grip, and went to get changed into my ranger outfit that was surely dry by now. On my return to my room, she was still sleeping. I could stare at her for hours if I had the time to do such a thing. But I did not. I made my way to the desk where I had shelved my blades, bow and quiver over. Sitting down in the chair, I wrote a goodbye note to Thalina before grabbing my weapons and taking off. I lay the note on the pillow next to her and made my way downstairs to a waiting Vilandil.

"How is she?"

He looked worried for his sister, she wasn't in the best state when she walked in on us. "She seems to be doing better than when you last saw her." He had known she stayed the night with me. Whether he was surprised or not, he didn't show.

"Good. Shall we set off?"

I nodded at him, pulling my hood up and leaving this house for what could possibly be the last time. I had only just arrived and I was being pulled away again on a mission that I knew very little about. Of course I knew more than what I told Vilandil. Seeing as he was in tune to the light, I don't think he would understand that this mission was to meet up with the best of each race in the Horde.. and Alliance, at a lodge in Hillsbrad Foothills. All I knew about the lodge was that it was home to an assassin organisation, or so I was told during the assignment of the mission.

The three days of riding from Silvermoon to Tranquillien and back to Silvermoon, dropping off the ranger unit in between, was uneventful. Nothing happened at all. The commander there didn't speak with me long, he had to prepare missions to send units on. Even Vilandil was uncharacteristically quiet. But him being by my side throughout the trip put my mind at ease, because he knew what I was going to do once we dropped off the rangers.

Just before we hit Silvermoon, he broke the silence that plagued our trip. "Are you sure I can't get you to stay? If not for me, then at least for your mother and Thalina."

I shook my head. "Sorry old friend, this is something I can't back down from unfortunately. Have you got what you're going to say to everyone when you return alone?"

He sighed. "More or less, yes. I'll tell them that you've got to stay in Silvermoon for a while, and that you'll come back as soon as you can."

"Alright."

"Athrodar?"

"Hm?"

"You know they won't understand right? Because I don't understand either. Imagine that. Your best friend doesn't even understand the nature or reasons behind this _secret mission_. How do you think they will understand?"

"They'll just have to try. I'm sorry Vilandil. For having to do this to everyone."

We both dismounted before giving each other a brotherly hug for the final time. Patting each other on the back before departing in separate ways. Climbing back on my mount, I rode to Sunfury Spire where Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron was waiting for me with Ranger-General Halduron Brightwing. They took me to a room and gave me all the information they could about this mission.

"Lieutenant Sunblade. This is what we know." He gestured to a map of Hillsbrad. "This is where the lodge is where one member of each race in the Horde and Alliance will meet up. I ask you, please don't embarrass us by starting fights with the Alliance. This is a neutral zone, albeit very small."

I nodded at him in understanding.

"What we know is that whilst also being neutral, they are an assassin league. That's all the information we have been given. So we don't know what you'll be doing there once you reach the location, but we do have a feeling once you've completed what ever they ask of you, you may not be returning home the same as you left it."

 _What could he mean by that?_

Halduron spoke up next. "Or even returning home at all. They're assassins Lieutenant, they may make you take an oath of silence, whilst making you pledge yourself to their cause."

Taking in this information, it was slowly starting to make sense of what was being asked of everyone. A neutral assassin organisation, asking every faction for their best fighter. Clearly they were looking to recruit.

"I take it I have to leave as soon as possible?"

"That would be ideal Lieutenant, yes." Lor'themar replied. "You will rendezvous with the rest of the Horde in the Ruins of Lordaeron before leaving for the lodge. You can take the Orb of Translocation to make it there quickly."

"I will take my leave then." Bowing to both men. "It's an honour to serve Silvermoon, Regent Lord."

"Make Silvermoon proud Lieutenant."

Make Silvermoon proud. Three simple words that carry a lot more meaning than they should. I was leaving home to go into contested lands, to find a secret assassin lodge hidden in the hills, shared with the Alliance no less. I didn't have blind hatred towards them, I just understand why we fight them. But seeing as I've only ever fought against Amani Trolls and the Scourge, I don't know how much I'd match up to everyone else who were actively fighting members of the opposite faction.

After using the Orb of Translocation, I landed in the destroyed city. I had heard stories of this place when it was alive and buzzing with activity. The love for their Prince, and his destruction of the city. How fast everything changes. Making my way through the ruins, I made my way to the entrance, and saw a forsaken sitting down, waiting for the rest of the Horde to arrive. I made my way towards her and offered my hand. She took it and shook firmly. Despite being mostly bone, she had a good grip. I could see the daggers she had strapped behind her and the vials of poison that would coat them. I could see she was a rogue.

"Name's Emma, Emma Webb."

"Athrodar Sunblade."

Not much was said after that, we waited a while until a Zeppelin made it's way to land not far from us, and off came the rest of the Horde. We quickly got acquainted and made our way towards Hillsbrad Foothills, through Silverpine Forest. The Troll with us was called Juuraz. I could see he was a hunter by the bow on his back and spear he carried with him. The Tauren was called Howi Wildhide. He looked like the typical Tauren Brave, but seemed bigger in stature than those I had seen visit Silvermoon. Clearly he was the strongest one here. He carried a magnificent double ended spear which I was certain he had mastered. Lastly, the Orc in our company was called Kog Axesong. Just like his named suggested, he used axes. He was well equipped with them, having a massive two handed axe sheathed on his back, and two smaller axes on his waste. The way he talked about axes was interesting. He had a certain passion about them and I believed he would even make a simple woodcutting axe deadly.

The trip through Silverpine was anything but simple. We were ambushed by a pack of worgen who thought themselves capable of killing just the five of us. Unfortunately for them, they were going against the best of each race in the Horde. We made short work of them. This happened more than once, it was nothing we couldn't handle, although was becoming tedious as it slowed our journey down more than I'd like.

Day 1 

Making our way into Hillsbrad, we followed the path through and was met by the Alliance group shortly after. To say it was tense was an understatement. I could feel the need to attack each other coming out from both parties.

The silence was broken however when a figure came out from the trees nearby. They were clad in dark leathers with a hood pulled over their head and a mask over their mouth and nose. Only their eyes and a few strands of hair were visible.

"Come."

The figure was a woman. A Human woman.

We followed her as she took us through a hidden pass, making our way up towards the lodge that had become visible after passing the last turn. It was embedded into the hills and unless you were a druid flying over, you would simply miss it. The location for something as secret as this was perfect.

I could hear whispers from both parties as we laid our eyes on the lodge. If I didn't know better, this would be a perfect getaway from war. A place to retire and live out life in piece. A small corner of the world where nothing bad could come to taint it. Of course that's not the case. This was the headquarters of the assassin organisation we were being taken to.

" _Anar'alah._ This is something to behold."

"That it is, Master Sunblade," Replied the hooded woman. How did she know my name? "If you could all make your way inside, Lord Jorach Ravenholdt would like to meet you all. Oh, and welcome to Ravenholdt Manor."

 _So it's a manor, not a lodge. Still, it seems like a cozy place despite it being full of assassins._

We made our way inside, walking past the crops of food being tended by a night elf woman. She looked like a druid which seemed a little out of place considering what this organisation was. We walked past sentries and guards placed around the manor, who were giving us looks of distrust. I couldn't blame them, I had a feeling most of us wouldn't make it past whatever tasks they had set about us.

Next to the manor is saw two guards sparring with each other with an orc and human watching them. They seemed to be teaching them. This was a strange sight considering Orcs and Humans have no love for each other. Yet here they were, teaching two assassins to fight.

Making our way into the manor I saw more guards placed inside, two of them either side of a familiar race. A blood elf. I felt a bit of comfort in knowing that I won't be the only Sin'dorei here. He seemed to be in conversation with a dwarf and the two sentries next to him. He glanced over towards us and I saw a faint glimmer of a smile on his face as he made eye contact with me, clearly he felt the same I did.

We made our way up some stairs and into a room where a man was waiting for us, with two more sentries by his side. There was a bear rug in the middle of the floor and a boar's head above where he sat. The hooded woman who brought us to him, bowed at the man and left.

"So. These are the new 'recruits'?" He smirked. "We'll see if they've got what it takes. I'm Lord Jorach Ravenholdt, Lord of the Assassins League."

He snapped his fingers and a guard appeared from another room almost instantly. "Take these to their rooms to get settled in. I expect you to all be back here within an hour to start your first task."

The guard nodded and started to walk away. We simply followed him to our rooms. I couldn't help but look around art style of the manor. It was simple, except for a few weapon racks and more than a few paints of women dotted around the place. Clearly this _Lord_ liked the simpler things in life. Fighting and Women. I can't fault him for it, there's nothing better in the world than a woman to come home to after a long stint in the front lines. Suddenly I felt myself thinking of home and how they were doing. It had been a week since I left Silvermoon to make my way here. Most of all, I was thinking of Thalina and how she was doing.

After we got settled in, I realised that the majority of people here were human. There was a Gnome I saw tinkering with something, typically he was an engineer. Couldn't expect much more from Gnomes. The Blood elf and dwarf I saw talking to each other, and the Orc and Night Elf outside doing their own things as well. But the majority of people here were Human. I made a quick note on who I think would make it through the tasks and ruled out the Tauren and Draenei on the notion that, when have you ever seen a Tauren or Draenei be stealthy? Sure they had their hunters, but to be an assassin would require stealth and I can't see a Tauren being light on their feet.

I felt the Human who was with us would make it through, simply on a bias and not because he was any good at what he does. It didn't fare well for Dwarf or Gnome as these were assassins, so height may play a factor in their decision as well. I was confident for the Forsaken in our group, Emma, as she looked the part of an assassin, so this may be a piece of cake for her. I had confidence in the Troll and Night elf with us as well. They seemed to both carry bows like I did, but they both also had spears whilst I donned a sword and dagger. I'm sure they're just as effective with Bow and Spear as I am with Bow and Blade.

The Orc however I couldn't place. He seemed like he would be an excellent fighter, but that's not what this organisation is about. They want stealth and precision, not fighting as hard as you can to lop the heads off as many people as possible. Orcs can be stealthy if they need to be, but this Orc didn't seem to look the stealthy kind.

After we got settled in, we made our way back to Lord Jorach Ravenholdt where he told us what our first objective would be. I couldn't expect anything less of this mission, it was simple. There was an obstacle course we had to make our way through, but with a twist. We didn't get to see it unless it was our turn, and we would know who had completed it because they had made it through to the other side. Those who failed would be magically teleported back to the room we were waiting in and sent back home. Not without wiping their memory of this location first.

First one through was the Night elf. She looked like should would have a certain grace about her in this trial and I wasn't wrong. We were told the maximum time we had to make it through this course was thirty minutes. She had done it in ten as the next person to be called up was Emma. She took longer in this than the night elf as the room had been magic dampened to prevent any use of it. Forsaken assassins were known to use shadow magic to teleport short distances.

With the trials going two for two so far, up next was the Draenei. Time to see if my assessment of him was correct. I didn't know if I should feel happy or sad that I got the assessment correct. He hadn't been in there for more than five minutes before he was teleported back to the room we were in.

" _One down"_ I thought.

The rest of the trial went as predicted, with a couple of surprises along the way. The Gnome didn't make it through, and to my surprise, neither did the Human. The Tauren however, managed to make it through. I underestimated Howi and I made sure that I wouldn't again. This was going well for the Horde so far, All five of us made it through but only two of the Alliance did.

"Congratulations on making it through the first course. This was to test your agility and how well you'd fair if you had to make a quick escape after having no rest time between arriving and completing the mission."

He wasn't wrong. I had noticed that we had our first mission so shortly after arriving at the Manor. If this was the first task, I wondered what the rest will be.

"You may rest up now. Tomorrow you will arrive back here at ten, where you will get your second task."

We left shortly after, retiring to our room. We all shared the same room, with ten beds laid out all along the walls. Apparently they don't believe in separating the men and women by giving us different rooms. I sat on my bed, taking off the ranger uniform I had on to put it away in the dresser next to my bed. As I opened it up, I saw a familiar outfit in there. It's the same ones the guards were wearing. I looked at everyone else and they were doing the same thing. Apparently we had uniforms already made for us, sizes and everything before we'd even arrived. How did they know where we would sleep, and what sizes to get us?

"This is beyond strange," I had finally said. "They knew my name before I gave them it, now this? How did they get this much information on us already?"

"Beats me lad." Came a voice only recognizable as a dwarf. "All I know is tha' whatever the task is tomorrow, It cany be easier than the last."

"I believe da dwarf is right." I looked over at Juuraz. He was crouched down, holding on to his new uniform and inspecting it. "Da task today was far too simple. Tomorrow is when da real challenge begins."

"But what could this new task be?" Came the smooth voice of the Howi . "I'd suspect it might be something to test our skills with weapons."

"Ha! This should be easy. Nobody can come between me and my axes! You shall soon face the might of an Orc in control."

"From what I saw in the courtyard, they were sparring with wooden swords." I told him simply.

"Bah, it's just a stick with no blade! Glory shall be mine!"

"By the light of Elune, calm down master Orc. It's just to test how capable we are in a fight, no glory is to be had with it." I glanced over towards the Night Elf and saw she had already changed into a gown for the night.

I lay back in bed and put my hands behind my head. "Still, if today's test was anything to go by. I suspect there will be less of us come the end of it." I glanced around the room and saw everyone realise what I meant by that comment. I didn't get the chance to know the names of the two Alliance members left before they went to sleep. Everyone else followed suit shortly after.

Emma however, being forsaken, didn't sleep. Whilst I was about to fall into the welcoming darkness of if, I saw her get up from her bed and walk out the room. I thought nothing of it. _She probably went to wonder the grounds or something._ I shut my eyes and welcomed the darkness. What I hoped would be a dreamless sleep was nothing of the sort. I dreamt of home. Of my mother and how she is coping with me not being there. Of Vilandil telling them a lie about where I was, and ultimately failing to provide them with an understanding. I knew he would struggle with this, and his father, Grand Magister Telramar Dawnstrider, would want to find answers seeing as he was on the council. He would ultimately fail as Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron wouldn't divulge this information.

I mostly dreamt of Thalina. How she looked. What she had said to me that night before I left. If it meant anything at all, or if it was something she said to get me to stay. She had never told me how she felt about me before and if she did feel like this towards me, I failed to see any signs of it throughout the years.

 _But did I?_

The day I arrived back home, she did seem to be acting strange around me. More so than usual at least. Me and Vilandil used to tease her a lot when she was younger, so she wouldn't always be welcoming towards us as she feared we would do something to her. But that day, it wasn't apprehension that she showed, more the complete opposite. It was like she wanted to be around us. _Around me._

Day 2

I woke up the following morning, looking around I saw I wasn't the only one awake. Howi was already up and dressed in our new uniform, as well as Kog and the Night Elf. Emma wasn't back either, I presume she may be getting to know the people here, or practicing on her own. I opened the dresser containing my ranger uniform and this new uniform we've been given. Quickly getting dressed, I found it fit perfectly, except there was no hood like the woman was wearing yesterday. I didn't like not wearing a hood, as I had done for many years back home. Not even a simple cloak was given to us. I felt a little exposed without these small comforts on me.

After a what almost felt like an hour, the rest of them woke up as well. Getting dressed into their new uniforms, we made our way to Lord Jorach Ravenholdt for our second task.

"Ah, there they are." He beckoned us over to the balcony overlooking a small training arena. "Today's task is exactly what you thought it would be, you're going to show of your skills with melee."

 _How did he know we were thinking that?_

Much like the first task, there was a little twist to it. Normally you would spar with a trainer, or another member of the unit you were in. Here we would spar with the other recruits. There were seven of us, so six fights each. The objective is to get at least three wins to pass. Again, if you failed, you would get sent home with an erased memory of this place and given a random story to be told to those you asked.

This meant we were fighting to stay. All or nothing.

This task was harder to pinpoint who would make it through or not. Naturally I'd think the dwarf wouldn't fair well. His short and stocky build is great with a shield and as a unit with other dwarves. Dwarves were well known for their brilliant shield wall. They would work together to create something almost impenetrable, much like their cities. But in one to one combat with the best each race has to offer, it could be difficult.

The rest I would think could make it through in that regard. The Orc and Tauren had brute strength on their side, whilst me and the night elf had the evasiveness needed to manoeuvre around such powerful strikes. The Forsaken was difficult to pinpoint. The first meeting I had with her, I could tell she was a great rogue. But that's for stealth, much like an assassin. She would be perfect for the role. But with hand to hand combat, I wouldn't know how she would fair. Lastly, the Troll was even more difficult to pinpoint. He was lean like most trolls of the Darkspear Tribe, which would be an easy target for a wide swing, but I wouldn't underestimate his use of a spear.

This trial was more testing, physically at least. There would be next to no time to rest between fights, whilst also going up against the best of the best each race had. There was another surprise with this trial on who made it through and who didn't. Predictably, the Dwarf didn't make it through, having won only two out of the possible six fights. What did shock me however was the Tauren. He won none of his fights. The weapons we were using were just sparring swords, so he wasn't used to not using a spear.

The Orc and Forsaken both got through with three wins each, with me, the night elf and troll making it four a piece. I couldn't expect nothing less.

"It seems we are down to half of our starting numbers. Very well." He seemed disappointed in us and I couldn't blame him. Two days in and we've lost half of us already, the majority being Alliance.

"You can return here to practice anytime you want, as for now. You may rest if you choose. The next task will start tomorrow, same time and place." He walked away and back into his office after that.

We returned back into the manor, exhausted from what we had just been through. I looked over to the last member of the Alliance, the Night Elf. "Seeing as we may be spending more time together, I thought I'd get to know you a little bit." I walked over and offered out my hand, she shook it. "I'm Lieutenant Athrodar Sunblade of the Silvermoon Rangers, though titles probably don't mean much here."

She nodded. "I'm Elaria Moonbow, Captain of the Sentinels of Darnassus and I believe you're right Athrodar, titles won't mean much here."

I leaned in towards her and whispered "We elves have to stick together in here, we seem to be the minority." She looked up at me and I winked. She then giggled at the comment and agreed. I could see us working well together.

The rest of the day went by in a flash. Kog went to the training grounds and started to learn how to use a sword in a way that suited him, much to his discomfort. He will probably change his name to Kog Swordsong now. Juuraz walked about the grounds with Emma, seeming to get lost in conversation and almost walking in to a couple of trees around the place. Elaria was taking books from bookcases around the manor and reading them. They mostly looked like recounts on past wars, some I hadn't heard of, most I did.

I however was sitting in a tree, taking in the view of Hillsbrad. There wasn't much to see from the ground, too many hills. But if you could climb the trees there, you would see a vast array of green. There was a lot of wildlife about, and many trees located about the place. You could almost forget about the conflict between the Horde and Alliance from here, until you see Tarren Mill looking worse for wears, and patrols of both Humans and Forsaken coming to blows.

Before I knew it, I fell asleep in the tree. Sitting on a sturdy branch and leaning on the tree trunk seemed to be quite comfortable, although not as comfortable as it would have been if I had my ranger gear. I woke up to the sound of Kog venting is frustration out on a training dummy, clearly he was not happy about not using axes.

I heard laughter from the branch next to me. I looked over and I saw Elaria sitting there staring at Kog with amusement on her face. "Typical Orc" she mumbled. I chuckled at the comment. "So you're awake then?" She glanced over to me before looking back at the orc.

"Not thanks to him. What are you doing up here?"

"You looked peaceful up here, so I thought I'd join you. Elves have to stick together, remember?"

Now I laughed, "I didn't mean in a way of being close to each other at all times."

"I guess I'll take my leave then."

I shook my head, "It's fine, you can stay. And yes, it's quite peaceful up here. If you can drown him out." I nodded towards Kog.

"Good, because I wasn't going to leave anyway. I'd make you change tree." She looked over at me and saw I was staring at her with a smile on my face. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." I looked away and closed my eyes again.

"You were staring at me with a stupid smile on your face, why?"

"It's just that, you remind me of my friends younger sister. When we were younger we used to climb the trees in Quel'Thalas and sit there, look at the villages below. She would always follow us up them and was reluctant to leave when we told her to."

She laughed, "Sounds like my kind of women. Doesn't back down from two people older and bigger than her."

I grinned, "No, she doesn't." I had been away from home for just over a week, and I'm already missing it. I had only been home for less than a day after returning from the front lines, only to be told I had to report somewhere else immediately after.

"You miss her."

The voice was closer now, I opened my eyes and saw Elaria sitting in front of me. "Yeah, I guess that I do. It's weird, you know? I was actively in the front lines back at home fighting against many threats and I didn't once think about her. She's my friends sister, that's all she was to me." She looked at me and nodded, telling me to carry on. "But the last night I was home, she overheard me arguing with her brother about this place, of course at the time I had no idea what this was, just -"

She finished of my sentence. "That it was a secret mission to a neutral faction that required the best of each race. Yeah I got the same thing."

"Exactly. So she overheard this argument, and burst into the room, obviously distraught about what the conversation entailed. Her brother left the room, I tried to comfort her as best as I can, being in the position of her brothers friend. I already didn't want to, but I could tell she wanted me to do it and she walked towards me instead of him."

"I see." She raised an eyebrow, "Let me guess, you pat her on the back and told her everything would be okay?"

"Well, yes and no. I did tell her everything would be okay, I was doing the mission in service to our Kingdom, so on and so forth. Then she said she didn't want to be alone that night and wanted to sleep in the same bed as me."

She looked amused now. "So you had sex with her as a goodbye gift?"

"What? No!" She laughed hard at that, I could visibly see tears rolling down her face. "She just didn't want to be alone, and I gave her company for the night."

Still crying with laughter, she almost lost balance on the tree. In doing so, she tried her best to calm herself for the next minute. When she calmed down she looked at me again. "Did she say anything at all during all of this? I can't imagine she would just be crying and saying nothing."

"She just said she didn't want me to leave, and that she didn't want to be alone that night..." My voice trailed off.

"And?" She knew there was something else. There was no getting past her on that.

"She said he loved me." I looked over at Elaria to see her smirking. "What?"

"You don't believe her?" Amusement laced her voice.

"I just think she said it to keep me there. Why? You think she does?"

"I'm saying nothing." She stood up and starting climbing down the tree.

"Oh is that it? I tell you something about me and you just start to walk away?"

"Pretty much." She reached the bottom of the tree and started walking away.

I yelled down to her, "I refuse to tell you anything else in the future!"

She yelled back "No you won't!"

 _She's not wrong._ I shook my head at the voice. Leaning back against the tree trunk and closing my eyes. I slept there until the following day came.

Day 3

"This task is going to be a recurring one." Lord Jorach Ravenholdt started. "Over the next few months, we will put you through different scenarios that will test how you will conduct the situation and eliminate the VIP. You will be given an assignment, after which you will make your way behind the manor and walk into the building located there. From there you will see you task unfold before your very eyes. The room has been magically enhanced to fit your situation, and all of the people there are magically conjured. They react the same as anybody in the world would react, so take this as a warning. If you mess up, they won't hold back. If they kill you in that room. Say your goodbyes, as we will kick your sorry asses out of here. Any questions?"

There were none. The task was simple enough, but the way we had to execute the assignments given to use were the difficult part. We did this day in day out for a time longer than I had realised. It was only when we had 'Completed' the task given to use did I realise we had been here for almost five months. In that time we had lost one more recruit. Kog was reckless in one of his assignments and charged straight into a group of six. To this day I still don't know why he done it, must have been the repeated trials over time that caused him to snap. He was always a loose cannon.

Day 149

"Congratulations recruits. You have made it this far and have shown you are the best of the best of the best. The final task is both the easiest and the most difficult one we have. This all depends on the answer you give."

All four of us looked at each other, wondering what it would be.

"You will have to decide whether or not you want to be a part of this assassin organisation." He put up his hand. "Now before you jump right into it, you must know the one rule behind this task. If you choose you want to be an assassin after this, then welcome aboard. If not. Your fate will be the same as everyone else's who has failed the tasks."

 _What could the rule possibly be for us to say no? Only a fool would go this far and decline the offer to join._

"The one rule, the one catch to it all, the one defining factor that will change your decision is this. You swear that oath, and in doing so, everything you had once loved and known prior to coming here, will be a distant memory. It will be nothing more than a dream."

 _That's what it is... That's what makes it the most difficult and easiest task. Giving up everyone and everything I knew. My past life will be a memory, a dream. I haven't been home in almost five months. I haven't spoken to my family for almost five months... I haven't seen Vilandil or Thalina for almost five months.. Am I that willing to join this organisation, that I will forget the years we grew up together? My mother, their parents. I would forget about all of them. How cou-_

"Yes."

I looked over and saw Elaria being taken into the room where we would give our oaths. It was magically lined with spells that would activate once the oath was complete, and we would forget everything prior to arriving here, save for our skills.

Not long after, Juuraz and Emma both accepted this as well, going into the room one after another and taking their oaths. I looked at Lord Jorach Ravenholdt, then at Myrokos Silentform, the Blood elf I saw on day one. He nodded at me, indicating I should accept the oath.

I took a few more minutes to decide my answer. I looked back at Lord Jorach Ravenholdt and nodded. "Yes". I was willing to give up everything to join them. I could have decided to fail at anytime but I chose not to. I was doing this for Silvermoon. Showing that the Blood Elves will fight wherever is necessary.

I walked into the room to take my oath.


	4. Chapter 4

**Five Years**

Five years. It has been five years since I told him that I love him. Five years since the day he left to go on a mission in the name of Silvermoon. Four and a half years since Lor'themar had the audacity to tell us he was killed in the front lines against the scourge, his body being ravaged and leaving no trace of him. His mother didn't take this well. Illana had lost her husband three months before Athrodar had left to go on the mission that would see him disappear from our lives. Now she had lost her son as well. She barely ate in the first two days and when she did, she had ate scraps of what was deemed normal.

 _Minn'da_ was taking care of her in the first two weeks, until she was strong enough to carry on living with the grief of losing everyone in her family. Vilandil however, didn't believe the story of Athrodar's demise. He joined the Argent Dawn, now Argent Crusade, shortly after as he didn't want to be at home anymore. He claims it reminds him of the day he let Athrodar go on the mission and his failure to keep him at home.

As for me, the first couple of months were difficult after that night we spent together. I woke up in his bed with nothing more than the note he left me.

 _Thalina,_

 _Dalah'surfal,_

 _I'm sorry I have to leave early in the morning without saying a proper goodbye. Know that if I had a choice, I'd spend it with my family instead of being shipped halfway across the world on a mission that I have no information about._

 _I won't forget the little amount of time we spent together before I had to leave. Waking up with you there made it that much harder for me to leave, and know that I carry what you said to me that night in my heart of hearts._

 _If I don't return, know that I'm proud of the beautiful young woman you have become, and that no matter what you do with your life, I'll continue to be proud of you._

 _Love,_

 _Athrodar_

He rarely used Thalassian, so when he put 'My love' in the beginning, it both shocked me and made me weep more tears. He was effectively saying goodbye to me, whilst also telling me he loved me. I have carried the note around ever since. It gives me light in dark times, knowing that he's proud of me and that he's there.

So when the news came that he had died in the front lines, I knew it wasn't true. Whatever mission he was on meant that he wouldn't be coming home and that he was still alive out there. This surged me forward in my studies of magic, knowing that once I became a Magister, I wouldn't need to stay in Silvermoon for my studies. I could travel the world freely and seek guidance in further improving my magics, whether that be in Dalaran or else where.

Within Four years of getting the title of Adept Fire Mage, I had once again been promoted. I had finally done it, studied as hard as I could and got the title Magister Thalina Dawnstrider. _Ann'da_ wanted me to stay home in Silvermoon with him, so he could train me to further my progress in the arts of magic, hoping that I succeed him and get the title of Grand Magister. I refused him however, telling him that I want to explore the world now, learning things other mages of the world may know that I don't.

Which has brought me to Booty Bay. I heard stories of a neutral merchant town where both Horde and Alliance convene in trade, whilst being in the same area. Somewhere people could get to know others from the opposite faction, whilst also having a drink or two with them.

Somewhere you can hire a blade to do your dirty work, as long as the pay is good. Or to simply find some information on someone. Whether it be their whereabouts or what it is they do. This is the reason I'm in Booty Bay. I want to hire someone who can dig up and find out where Athrodar is, and I'm willing to pay them as much is required for their help. My mother is a Jewelcrafter, and her jewellery is some of the most sort after in all of Quel'Thalas. So money wasn't hard to come by when I told them I was going to travel the world, and would need money to live off.

I made my way to the inn, walking passed a two hooded figures on the way in, almost colliding with them.

"Watch it!" One of them barked at me.

I shook my head and walked into the inn, where I was met with an image I wouldn't forget anytime soon. Gnomes and Goblins arguing about who's inventions were better in one corner of the room. In another, Orcs, Humans, Forsaken and Dwarves laughing and sharing stories of their adventures over a beer or two. The rest of the room was more or less the same as that, members from opposite factions, in a neutral environment, sharing stories over a few pints of beer.

I made my way to the innkeeper, knowing that with the right amount of coin, I can get information on people in the town.

"Excuse me." I said to the goblin serving drinks to those that were waiting.

"Yo." He turned to look at me. I noticed he had one golden tooth, and an eye patch over his left eye.

"I would like information about someone, anyone."

"I got what you need, sweet cheeks."

I threw up a little in my mouth as he said that. "Good, I need to know someone who I can hire to find information on a certain someone. Could you help me out with that?"

He grinned at me wickedly at me, I noticed his teeth were razor sharp. "You wish to hire a private eye? That's gonna cost ya more than a pretty coin or two."

I simply paid the goblin five gold coins, his eyes widen as I placed them down, clearly not expecting that much. "Who do I talk to?"

He was rubbing his hands, still staring at the gold coins I placed in front of him. "You see that room behind you, the one guarded by those guys in black?"

I turned around to look at where he was talking about. Noticing he couldn't need me nod I said, "Yes, I see them."

"Good, go to them and ask for _The Hawk._ They'll let you in, I'm sure of it."

" _The Hawk?"_

"Yes ma'am, tell them that if they don't let you in straight away. I guarantee you will get in."

"Thank you." I paid him an extra gold coin for his trouble.

"No miss, thank you!" He scooped up the gold coins and stashed them away somewhere secret, I didn't see where.

I started walking towards where the two guards were standing, seeing them notice me and put their hands on their swords, ready to draw them if I posed a threat. I carried on walking towards the door, which is when their sword were drawn and aimed at me.

"And where do you think you're going? Elf." The first one said, he was clad in full leather and had a hood and mask on. Noticing his posture and height, let alone his voice I surmised he was a Human.

"I've come to see _The Hawk,_ If that's okay with you." I looked him straight in the eyes, not backing down when he glared at me. He looked over to his friend on the left, who nodded back to him. They both put their weapons back into their sheaths, nodded at me, and opened the door into a dark candle lit room.

"So... What's a pretty young elf like you doing here?" Came a voice from the figure standing at the back of the room. I couldn't make out what race he belonged to. Like the guards outside, he too was clad in full leather with a mask, but also had a cloak with a hood. Clearly showing he was their leader of some sort.

"I've come to talk to _The Hawk_ , I was told he was here."

He turned around to look at me, walking towards his desk and taking a seat. He nodded over to his left and suddenly the room lit up. It was only when I looked over to where he nodded that I saw a mage standing there. Clearly versed in the ways of fire. "I'm _The Hawk_ , who is it you want to find? Clearly you know who I am, so there's no needing to explain what I do."

He wasn't wrong, I came here because I knew who he was. "I'm looking for a friend of mine who went missing five years ago. He's a Sin'dorei like me, golden hair, farstrider uniform."

He interrupted me. "Name lass. That's why we're here."

I nodded, "Yes, sorry. His name is Athrodar Sunblade."

He looked past me and nodded to the figure standing behind me, who I hadn't noticed was in the room until he had done so. The figure moved to the door and locked it, standing in front of it afterwards, blocking my exit. I tried to remain calm, but my face gave it away.

"There's no need to be alarmed, we're not going to harm you." Relief suddenly washed over me. "I just need to know how you know this man, and why you're looking for him."

I gave him a brief run down of how I knew Athrodar, followed by the conversation I overheard him have with my brother. It was during that part I noticed him looking past me, at the figure standing behind me. I carried on, but made sure to make a mental note of it. I finished off with telling them that we was told he was killed, but not believing it, due to the lack of a body and what he and my brother were arguing about the night before he left.

I could see he was mentally adding up the story in his head. After he was done, he nodded to his mage, and she left the room. Leaving just me with the other two. "I can see this man means something to you lass, which is why it will be hard for you to accept this."

"Accept what?"

"Stop this pursuit of him. It won't do you any good."

"You know something, don't you?" He looked down at his hands that were folded across his chest.

"Aye, I do know the name, and like I said, It won't do you any good to know where he is."

I slammed a sack on his desk, containing one hundred gold pieces. His eyes widened at the amount that was in there. "Tell me what you know."

He sighed. "Fine, seeing as the pay is good and you're not backing down from this, I'll tell you. But remember, you're not going to like it."

"Try me."

"What's ye name lass?"

"Thalina Dawnstrider."

"Well Thalina, he no longer goes by the name _Sunblade_. He has kept Athrodar, but has changed his family name to Nightblade. Not much of a difference, I know. But that name carries a heavy price with it. Both in coin, and wrath." In wrath? This can't be the same Athrodar I knew. Although I didn't really know him outside of the person I saw every now and then on visits. "There's something else lass, something I don't feel comfortable in telling you, since you've known him for as long as you claim."

"I'm a big girl, I can take it." I also placed an extra twenty gold pieces on his desk. He refused the extra money, pushing it back to me. He wasn't willing to take more money for this bit of information?

"I won't need the money, not after I've told you this." He gestured at the bigger sack of golden pieces on his desk. "That, and it pains me enough to have to tell you this. He's no longer a ranger of Silvermoon. I won't go into the finer details of it, but he's a part of an assassin organisation that requires you to dedicate your life to them at a price." I could see him fighting with himself at this next point to come.

"What price?"

"They require you to willingly give up on everything you had known in your past life, forgetting everything and everyone you had known. Making it all seem like a dream they once had, a fleeting memory of a time long gone. They're never the same after that. All they know is what they were taught. To kill."

 _No... He wouldn't just give up his family... That wasn't him! He fought for Silvermoon to protect his family, he went on this mission in the service of Silvermoon. What did they do to him whilst he was there for him to just give us up?_

I couldn't tell how long I stood there after he told me this bit of information. I was staring at the floor, seemingly focused on nothing other than what I was thinking. It was only when he approached me to take me to a hidden door in the side of his office did I realise I was moving. He placed me on his bed and was talking to me. I didn't hear what he was saying. My heart was breaking, my throat constricting, tears forming in my eyes. I was physically shaking. _Had he really just erased everyone he knew to become an assassin? That wasn't him. He wouldn't do that._

He left me on the bed and walked out of the room. I broke down into crying mess. I came all the way to Booty Bay, just to be told that the man I love was gone and all that remained was a killer? I refused to move on for five years because I knew he was out there. I wasn't wrong in that fact. He _was_ out there, just not as the person I had grown up with.

He was out there...

 _The Hawk_ said we're just a fleeting memory to him. I have to find him, see if he recognises me at all. I won't give up on him just yet. If he recognised me, that would be enough! I'd know he was still in there somewhere. I have a purpose in life. I will find Athrodar and make him remember.

 ** _Meanwhile..._**

"Is our contact even here yet? The smell of beer is driving me insane. What I would do to just get a pint."

"Soon Athrodar... He said meet him in Booty Bay inn, and that's what we're doing. He's just running late is all."

"I don't care if his house is burning down, Elaria. I don't like waiting around for a scheming goblin who decides to take his time when he asked us for our help."

She grinned at me, removing a dagger from her waste and slamming it into the table we were sat at. "Well, we'll just make sure to get the message across that we don't like to be _fucked_ about."

I smirked at the gesture, removing a dagger from my waste and slamming it into the table next to hers. "Let's hope he arrives soon, for his sake. Or there will be more than a message coming his way." We were sitting there for another ten minutes before I lost my patience. "Alright, I'm done with waiting. Do you know where this time wasting goblin lives?"

"I do, and I think I know where you're going with this. Let's leave." We removed our daggers, sheathing them and leaving the inn. As we left the inn, a young Blood Elf woman almost collided into us. Frustrated, Elaria barked at her. "Watch it!"

I looked at her, amused by what just happened, "And I thought I was annoyed by a goblin wasting our time. You're over here yelling at people who are just walking."

She glared at me, "I'm warning you." she said through gritted teeth.

"Ha, what exactly will you do? You know I'll take you on and beat you. Again."

She quickly drew her dagger from her waste and lay it across my throat. "I'll kill you where you stand, that's what I'll do." She winked at me.

"Will you now? I see you have failed to notice where my dagger is." At the same time she launched her dagger at my throat, I had drawn mine towards hers. She glanced down at it as best she could, realising where it was placed. She let out a frustrated groan and removed her dagger. I done the same, smirking at her the whole time. "Almost had me that time dear. Almost."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let's just go teach this goblin some manners."

We made our way to where his house was located. Unlucky for him, we were master assassins. Best and most expensive in our trade. Any plan to escape would be met with death. Our plan was simple. I'll make my way into his house through a window, whilst she would simply stroll up to the door and knock. He'd make his way to open the door, which is when I'll subdue him and tie him up to a chair. Putting a portable silencing spell on him. Simple as that.

I walked to the door and opened it.

"Looks like I have the wrong house," She said sarcastically. "I was told a filthy goblin lived here, not his reject cousin."

"Funny, I didn't pay for humour though. Only pleasure." I responded. She chuckled and made her way into the home.

"Well, well. There he is. The little _shit_ who decided to waste our precious time." she removed the silencing spell from him. "What's your excuse Lerx?"

He looked terrified. He was shaking so much I put my boot on his leg to keep the chair still. "Talk Lerx, or it will only get worse from here on out." I pulled out my dagger and scratched it along his cheek. First few droplets of blood hitting the floor.

"I... I was gonna come... But I had second thoughts..." His voice was shaky as well.

Elaria sighed, "What do you mean, second thoughts?"

"It is what it is... I didn't know if I wanted to go through with it! I... I didn't want it on me conscience." His words were flowing fast, clearly scared out of his mind at what may happen to him.

We looked at each other and nodded. I cut the binds from his hands and feet, releasing him from the chair.

"Th...Thank you. Please, I didn't mean to w-"

"Shut up." I hit him over the head with the hilt of my dagger, knocking him out cold. "Let's just take his money and leave. I'm tired and I could use a drink." She simply nodded.

We took his money and headed back inside the inn. We made our way over to a dark corner in the room, a bit cliché but what can you do, hiding in the shadows is our style. We sat down at a booth with couches and a table. I pulled out the sack of money we took from the goblin and started counting it, whilst Elaria made her way back from the innkeeper with our first round, sitting on the opposite couch to me.

"Two gold coins and thirty silver! What kind of cheap goblin was this? We told him at least fifty gold. If I see him again, I'll do more than just cut his cheek."

"Relax, we'll just use his money to buy tonight's drinks, then we'll be off in the morning."

"Fine." I looked around the room and saw a mage walk out from a guarded room. "I see _he_ has a client." I nodded over towards the guards.

She looked over at the two guards, then at the mage. She whistled her over. Complying, the mage, whom we know as Clara Winchester, made her way to where we were, sitting down next to Elaria. "And what can I do you for Shadowbow?" Elaria had changed her family name like I did to fit our new trade.

She put her arm around Clara. "First of all, I'd like a kiss on the cheek," I shook my head, smiling. I knew where this was going. "Then I'd like to take you for dinner, where we wouldn't touch the food, because I'll be too busy seducing you into my bed. You would comply and follow me home, where we would make love for hours until all you could feel were my fingers inside you." She winked at Clara.

"As lovely as that sounds, _Elaria,_ I meant why did you call me over here? I'd presume you'd like to know who he was talking to?"

Elaria folded her arms, slumped back on the couch and pouted. "Yeah, that's what we want to know."

"Well, since you asked _so_ nicely. It's some blood elf woman." She glanced over at me. "Apparently she wanted to know where our seemingly quiet friend is over there."

Elaria looked at me as I did her. Someone was looking for me? It couldn't be anyone we work with. They know where we are. Someone from my past maybe? But I can't seem to think of who it would be.

"You don't think it's the clumsy elf that almost walked into us, do you?" She asked.

"Could be. There were no other blood elves in here when we left." I looked at Clara. "What was her name?"

"She didn't say, but she seemed to know you in great detail, minus the family name. Seems like she didn't know you changed it."

"Clearly..." I was lost in thought.

Elaria threw a silver coin at my face to get my attention. "What are you thinking?"

I looked up at her and shook my head. "Nothing. I was trying to remember her face as we walked past her. But I didn't catch it."

"You two could always stay here and wait until she leaves the room, then you can see if you recognise her or not."

"Couldn't hurt. What do you say?" She looked at me and waited for an answer.

"Get me another pint, and I'll say it's a good plan." I picked up the silver coin and threw it back at her.

She grinned. "That's a good boy." She looked at Clara, "Don't move, I won't be long." She winked at her and made a kissing sound.

I shook my head, laughing. "Leave the poor woman alone and get the drinks." She got up and went over to the innkeeper. I pulled my hood down from my head. It was the same ranger cloak I had when I arrived at the manor all those years ago, except it was dyed black along with the rest of my gear. I took off my daggers and placed them on the table, along with my sword, bow and quiver. I then stretched and lay back against the couch, putting my feet on it as well.

"Comfortable?" I looked at Clara, she was clearly amused by what I was doing. I merely nodded and closed my eyes.

Elaria made her way back and placed the beers on the table. She sat down, and laid back against Clara, putting her feet up as well. "And now we wait."

Clara put her arms around Elaria, shaking her head at the elf who decided to lay against her. "You just can't leave me alone, can you?"

I opened one eye to look at them, seeing Elaria snuggle up against Clara and let out a loud exhale. I closed my eyes again, shaking my head and laughing. "Apparently she took that as an invitation to get closer."

"You assassins don't know what personal space is, do you? I have her laying on me and you placing what can only be described as an armory, onto the table."

"Honey, we're paid to kill, not make the room like nice. Now shh whilst I sleep on you."

"You don't mind staying and telling us when this Blood Elf leaves the room do you? We haven't slept in almost two days."

She sighed. "Fine. As long as this one," She poked Elaria's ear, making it twitch "Doesn't feel me up, I'll stay."

"She couldn't leave even if she wanted to, she's mine now until we have to leave."

"Have fun with that one Clara. She doesn't like to leave until she gets what she wants." I grabbed one of my daggers and place it on my chest as I welcomed the embrace of darkness and slept.

I was rudely woken up sometime later by a light frost spell to the face. Thinking I was in danger, I unsheathed the dagger that was on my chest and sat up in lightning speed. "Easy tiger, it was me." Clara was chuckling, "The door's open."

I look at Clara and saw Elaria was still sleeping on her. I raised an eyebrow. "Now I see why you hit me in the face with that spell. Thanks for that by the way." I looked over to the guarded door and waited for the Blood Elf to leave.

"You're welcome." Without looking at her, I stuck up two fingers in her direction. This just made her laugh even more, which woke up Elaria.

She yawned. "See I told you, you were mine." She sat up and stretched, "What did I miss?"

"The door's open, she should be leaving anytime soon." I glanced over towards Elaria, seeing she was eyeing Clara up and down with a smirk on her face. I raised my eyebrow "Good dream?"

She licked her lips, "Aye," She leaned in towards Clara, "I could demonstrate it to you later if you'd like."

Now that Elaria was off her, she got up and sat next to me. "I'm good, thanks. Keep those dreams to yourself."

I laughed, pulling my hood up and placing my daggers, bow, quiver and sword back on my person. "Don't think coming over here will stop her from pouncing on you when you least expect it."

She looked at me, "Wait, seriously? You mean you won't defend me if she comes after me? Some skilled fighter you are."

Elaria stood up "He's a skilled fighter alright. He just knows better than to stand in the way of a lioness and her prey." She was slowly making her way towards Clara.

Distracted, I was watching the events between the two woman transpire. Only when I saw the door was shut and the guards had left did I realise she was gone and we missed her.

" _Shit!"_ I threw a knife between the two women, sticking into the wall. They both looked at me. "She left whilst you two were fucking about!" I got up and quickly made my way out of the inn.

"Damn it..." Elaria got up and made her way towards me. Only stopping and turning around to grab the knife and to give Clara a long kiss. "I'll be back for you." She winked at Clara and made to catch up to me.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Blood Elf Woman**

 _Damn it! Whilst I was watching the two of them, the Blood Elf we were waiting on has already gone, and so have the guards!_

I ran out of the inn and scanned the area around me. Only when I saw two guards and a hooded figure did I see where they went. Elaria caught up to me outside the inn. "There." I pointed towards the three figures about to turn a corner. Elaria followed my hand and nodded when she saw them. "We need to flank them, the guards may put up a fight if we both show up in the same place."

"Right." She signalled to me that she'll take the high ground and make her way towards them from above and I would sneak up behind them and get their attention.

We made off with the plan. In the corner of my eye I saw Elaria jump onto some boxes, leap towards a shop sign and swing onto the nearby roof. I made my way to the corner that they had just turned, taking a quick look around it and saw they were heading towards a house. Seeing this, I acted quickly and got as close as I could to the guards without being spotted. I saw Elaria was in position above me which is when I whistled at the three figures to get their attention.

The three figures turned around, both guards drawing their swords, but the third looked at me and widened their eyes. "N..Nightblade?"

I recognised that voice. "Ted?"

He sighed. "It's _The Hawk."_

I laughed. "Sure it is. Call off your men, we have some questions."

"We?" He looked puzzled. It was only until I glanced up did he see Elaria with her bow drawn and an arrow knocked at him did he realise I wasn't alone. "Ah. Stand down."

"Thank you." I nodded.

"What... What can I do for you?" He was scared and with good reason. We didn't get to be the best in our trade without taking a few lives. He was physically shaking as was his voice. Plus Elaria still had her bow drawn at him.

I signalled for her to put the bow away. "Come on, just one in the arm. For old times sake."

"Now, Elaria."

She made a frustrated sound. "Fine."

He seemed to calm down once she put the bow away. "Again, what can I do for you?"

I asked him without hesitation, "Who was the Blood elf?"

"That's none of your concern." Bad idea.

"Elaria." In a flash she drew her bow again and fired a warning arrow between his feet. She knocked another arrow and aimed at him. "I'll ask again, who was the Blood elf?"

"C-Come on Nightblade, that's not how I w-work."

I sighed. "Fine. I didn't want to do this Ted." I drew a throwing knife from my belt and threw it at one of his guards, hitting him straight in the eye. The guard fell to the floor, screaming in pain whilst blood poured from his eye. "Your other one will be next if you don't tell me who the Blood elf is."

"Alright! Alright. She said she knew you since you were kids. Now please, tell her to put the bow away!"

"Commands Ted? Really?" I shook my head, and signalled for Elaria to put the bow away. She complied, jumping off the roof and landing next to him.

"What did she know about him?" Elaria was directly in front of him, one hand on her dagger.

"She knows who you are, or at least who you were. She told me the history she has with you, about an argument with her brother you had about the mission that took you to Lord Ravenholdt. Then something about your death and its cover up."

I stepped over the guard who was still screaming in pain, moving towards Ted. "What was her name?"

"She... She said it was Thalina. Thalina Dawnstrider." He shut his eyes tight to try and brace himself for an attack that wasn't coming.

Elaria looked at me. "Does it ring a bell?"

I looked at the ground, thinking about the name. "It does sound familiar." I looked back up at Ted. "Where is she?"

"She's in my office. Just -"

Elaria interrupted, "Just what?"

"Don't hurt her, she seems like a good kid."

"That will be our decision to make."

"Elaria, let's go." I looked over at the guard on the floor, his buddy trying to help him. "Oh and Ted."

"Y..Yes?"

"Don't fuck with us again. When I want information, just hand it over." I walked over to the guard and wrenched the knife out of his eye. "Take him to a healer unless you want a guard with one eye. Also, we're taking Clara from you." He nodded, scared of what would happen if he refused. We both left to make for the inn. I heard Ted give orders to the guard who was helping his friend to find a healer quickly.

We made our way back into the inn and towards his office. "It's locked."

"Here, let me open it." Clara was standing behind us.

In an instant, the door unlocked and I walked inside. Elaria smacked Clara on the ass, "Thanks babe."

She glared at Elaria, "You're welcome" she said through gritted teeth.

As we entered, Clara lit up the candles and we started searching the office. "What are you looking for?"

"The Blood elf. Ted said she was in here."

"He gave up information? What did you do?"

"Possibly blinded one of his guards and almost stuck an arrow in him."

Clara scoffed. "The people I work for..."

"Used to work for, I told him you're with us. If that's okay with you."

"Whatever, as long as I don't have to work for him any more, I'm fine."

Whilst we were searching the office, I heard a sound coming from inside the wall. "Shh. Listen." We stopped searching and listened carefully.

"What?" Clara whispered to me.

I made my way towards the sound and started brushing my hand along the wall. I found a door hidden behind a bookcase. "Go figure, a hidden door behind a bookcase. Predictable. Elaria, help me move it."

She did, and we pushed it aside, revealing a door that didn't look like it was made to be hidden. "I don't think this was put in as a secret room." She said to me, "I think he moved the bookcase to hide whomever is in this room."

I looked at Clara, "Two things. Firstly, care to unlock this?" She nodded and done so. "Thank you. Secondly, were you ever going to tell us about this door?"

She looked down at the floor, seemingly embarrassed. "Sorry."

I shook my head. "Don't hide this next time." I looked at Elaria, "Open it, see if anyone is inside. If there is, bring them out."

She nodded and walked into the room. We heard a gasp, followed by a struggle that ultimately led to Elaria dragging out who was inside. "I think we've found the elf."

She was crying when Elaria brought her out and threw her onto a chair behind the desk.

"You two scared her half to death!" Clara snapped, walking over towards the elf and hugging her to calm her down.

Elaria looked at me. "Does she look familiar? Other than the fact she almost walked into us?"

I stared at the elf, who was still crying. "She looks familiar, yes." I walked over towards the elf and crouched down in front of her. "Thalina?"

She looked up at me, her eyes wide. "Athrodar..." In an instant she jumped on me, wrapping her arms around me and crying into my neck.

Elaria drew her sword and aimed it at the her. Seeing this I put up my hand. She reluctantly sheathed her sword. Leaning in towards me. "I think this is the elf." I nodded and pried Thalina off me.

Standing up, I looked down at her. "What do you want with me?"

"I.. I want you to c-come home." she hiccuped.

"I don't have a home."

She shook her head. "You do. B-back in Eversong Woods. O-Outside Silvermoon."

"Whatever was there for me, I no longer need."

She stood up "No.. You always need family."

"She," I nodded to Elaria. "Is family now."

"Aww, I am?" I glared at her. "Sorry."

Thalina looked at her, then at me. "I'm your family." Her voice was small. She then reached into her pocket and handed me a folded piece of paper. I took it, unfolded it and read the contents of it. Elaria stood over my shoulder and read it as well.

" _Dalah'surfal?_ What does that mean?" She looked at me.

It was Thalina who answered. "It means my love in Thalassian."

I folded the paper up and handed it back to her. "This man is dead."

Her face looked pained when I said that. "He's standing in front of me."

Elaria leaned in to me and whispered. "Persistent, isn't she? Remind you of anyone?"

I whispered back. "Yeah, you."

She shook her head. "No. Well, yes. But that's not what I meant. You told me a story about a woman who told you she loved you. Remember? That day on the tree."

I nodded.

"Well, she seems to fit the description so far. She's Sin'dorei, persistent and seems to know a lot about you."

"And what do you want me to do with her?"

It was Clara who interrupted. "Take her with you back to... Wherever you guys go."

We both looked at her, then back at each other. "You know the boss won't understand right?" Elaria said in a low voice.

"I know." I looked over at Thalina. She was looking at me with tears in her eyes and her ears were drooped down. Suddenly the same image hit me, but everything was different. Except that the same elf was there, looking as upset as she did now.

"Psst, hey. Earth to assassin." Elaria was waving her hand in front of my face. I snapped out of the image and looked at her. "There he is. What happened?"

I dragged Elaria away from the other two. When we were far enough away I told her. "I think she's the elf." Elaria looked at me puzzled. Clearly I needed to explain further. "Looking at her just then, I had an image flash into my head of her looking the same as she does now, but in an entirely new location."

Her eyes widened a little. "So, what do we do?"

I sighed. "Well, we can't stay here. Give me a minute to figure this out." I stood there thinking about what to do, until it hit me. "We don't have to report in to Lord Ravenholdt in person do we?"

I waited for an answer. "No, I shouldn't think so. Why?"

"We send him a letter telling him how our mission went and that we'll be staying in Booty Bay until the next assignment."

"Okay that can be done." She looked at Thalina. "What about her?"

"She stays with us in Booty Bay until we figure out something concrete."

"What!" she snapped. Louder than she meant to.

"Shh, listen to me." She looked around the room, seeing both Clara and Thalina staring at us before looking back at me. "We can't kill her. It wouldn't be right to kill her for knowing me. But we can't get rid of her either. She's persistent and will follow us. So we keep her with us until the next mission that requires us to leave this place."

I could see the warring emotions play on Elaria's face before she closed her eyes and sighed. "Fine. She can stay with us. Only because it means I get to stay in Booty Bay and be around Clara." She winked at me.

I chuckled at the thought. "You know she doesn't want you right?"

She smirked at me. "Yes, that makes me want her even more."

"Are you two done playing team assassin?" Clara interrupted.

I nodded at Elaria and turned to face Clara. "We have a plan." I glanced over at Thalina, "We're going to hide out in Booty Bay for a while, waiting our next assignment. In the meantime we're taking her with us until we figure out what to do with her."

Thalina's eyes widened at the idea of staying with me, her ears perked up too. "I'm... I'm staying with you?"

"Yes, along with her." I nodded at Elaria. "Until we have a better idea on what to do with you."

I don't think she heard the last part as she ran and threw herself on me. Knowing she was about to draw her sword, I put my hand on Elaria's arm, effectively stopping her. I looked down at Thalina, "And what are you doing exactly?"

"I'm hugging you. You do remember what hugging is, right?"

"I know what it is. Just why are you hugging me?" I pulled her away from me.

"I was thanking you for allowing me to stay with you." She looked up at me and smiled. Looking back at her I was hit with another image. We were in a village surrounded by trees with yellow and red leaves. She was looking up at me and smiling the same as she was doing now. Except she looked a lot younger than she is now, almost like a child.

I shook my head at the image and handed her over to Elaria. "Find a place where we can hold up for a while."

She nodded and took Thalina with her, leaving the room. I leaned back against a wall and fell to the floor, closing my eyes rubbing at my temple. Clara made her way to me, kneeling down directly in front of me. "What's up?"

I opened my eyes and looked at her. "I keep getting flashbacks to a past I don't remember. Is that normal?"

She looked at me with sympathy. "It's your memories from your past life that you gave up slowly coming back to you. This is happening because someone you knew from said past life is in your current one."

I groaned and place my head in my hands. "So I'm going to get this more if she stays with us?"

"I'm afraid so. This can be both good and bad for you though."

I looked up at her. "How do you figure?"

"Well, it could be good for you as she seems like the only normal person you've come across so far. Apart from me of course. So her being with you two could be good."

"Is that all?"

"That and she seems to still care for you. Would it hurt to have someone who cared for you in your line of work, really?"

"Would it hurt to have someone like her in our lives? In theory no. It only becomes a problem if they hinder us in our task. You know all to well what our line of work entails. Any slip up could be the difference between success and failure."

"Right, so what are you going to do with her? You can't lead her on to think she may have a life with you, only for you to throw her away at your earliest convenience. Don't do that to the poor girl."

I groaned and she put her hands on my shoulders and leaned in, putting her forehead against mine. "It wasn't this difficult with you. You knew it was a one night thing."

She chuckled "At the time I didn't know that. But I didn't have history with you before hand. Plus you were a drunken mistake."

This time I laughed. "Yeah, thanks. It was a good night though, right?"

She nodded, pulling her head away. "Yeah, it was a good night. I take it Elaria doesn't know about it?"

I smirked "No she doesn't. Do you think she'd ask for tips if I told her?"

She playfully hit my arm. "Come on, let's go find those two."

I nodded, getting up onto my feet and leaving the room. As we closed the door behind us, I looked over to at the booth we were sitting in earlier, only to find Elaria and Thalina talking to each other with drinks in their hands.

"I thought I said find a place to hold up for a while."

Elaria looked over at me. "I did. The innkeeper sold us a room up there," She pointed to the room on the floor above us. "He says it's the best he has."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Fine, I'll get settled for the night." I looked at Clara "Have you got a place to go to?"

She shook her head. "No, but seeing as you've got the best room in the inn that can house four people, I'll join you three."

I nodded and made my way to the room, noticing there was a table to two chairs outside it, overlooking the rest of the inn. I opened the door and entered the room, leaving the door open as I knew I was being followed by everyone else.

I sat down on a chair and started removing my boots, placing them by the door. Then I started to remove my bow, quiver and sword. Placing them next to the couch I was going to sleep in. I went to remove the belt containing my daggers and throwing knives, but I couldn't seem to remove it. Seeing my struggle with the belt, Thalina made her way over to me.

"Stay still, let me remove it." I stopped struggling with the belt and left her to it. She knelt down in front of me and removed the belt easily. She stood back up with the belt in her hand. "Here you go." Her voice was low.

I took the belt from her, "Thank you." I replied in an equally low voice. She looked up at me, starting moving her hand towards my hood, I grabbed her arm before she could pull it down. She just smiled at me and carried on, lowering my hood from my head. I let go of her arm and she stared at me for a few seconds before stepping back from me and turning around to walk away.

The next few minutes was filled by everyone getting settled down in their rooms. Thalina had a bed to herself as well as Clara, although Elaria was trying her hardest to share that bed with her. Only when I restrained her did she stop.

"You know better than to get in between me and what I want." She growled.

I looked at her, smirking. "Down girl." I leaned in to whisper to her, "You can sneak into her bed when she sleeps."

Her eyes widened at the suggestion. She turned to look at me, giddy with excitement "Deal."

"Good, now if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep." Making my way to the couch where all my stuff was located. I lay down on it and closed my eyes.

Elaria made her way to the back of the couch, crouching down and peering over it to look at me. "You're sleeping here? Thalina has a bed fit for two you could share."

I shook my head. "I don't want to give her any ideas as I'm not looking for a relationship and going into that room will give her those ideas."

"Stubborn fool." She muttered "As long as she doesn't get in our way, there's nothing wrong with it."

I opened my eyes and looked at her, she was straddling my hips whilst I lay there, she held my arms down in place when I started to struggle. I raised my eyebrows at the gesture. "Really?"

She looked down then back at me. "Don't get any ideas, you know I'm not one for the male company. At least, not sexually."

"So what are you doing?"

"Sitting on you so you don't sleep."

"And why are you doing that?"

"Because you're making a mistake. Just go into her room and sleep there, it doesn't have to be on the bed. There are some comfortable chairs in there you could sleep on."

"You're not going to get off until I agree to these terms, are you?"

She smirked at me, "You would be correct in this assumption, yes."

I sighed, "Fine, just get off me will you? Someone might get the wrong idea."

She leaned in to me, "What's wrong with them getting the wrong idea?"

"Nothing. Although Clara may think you're no longer pursuing her and you wouldn't want that, would you?"

She gasped, "She wouldn't!" Getting off me quickly and running to the door that is Clara's room. She turned and whispered to me, "Is she sleeping?"

"Like that would stop you."

"You're right." She opened the door and went in. I didn't hear a scream or any sound of a struggle which would indicate she was sleeping.

I got up from the couch and looked at Thalina's room. Gathering my things I made my way to her room and opened the door. She was sleeping. I quickly scanned the room for a viable chair to sleep in. After seeing one near the door, I placed my things down nearby and slump down into the chair, pulling my hood up for some form of comfort as I lay my head against the wall. I looked at Thalina for one last time before I closed my eyes and welcomed the dark embrace of sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**The night before we leave**

I found him, better yet, he found me. I made my way to Booty Bay for that exact reason. After _The Hawk_ told me about what had happened to him, I didn't know what to think. Sure I wanted to go out and find him, make him remember me, but I didn't know how to go about it. I was told I could stay the night in _The Hawk's_ office and think over my plan for the next few days.

I stayed in that office for a few hours, thinking over what I was going to do next. For starters, I would wait until the morning until _The Hawk_ came back, so I could ask him more about Athrodar. Namely the location of his whereabouts, then I would start my journey towards finding him.

I felt like this plan would work, but I would never expect them to find me. I was getting ready to sleep for the night when I heard the office door unlock and open. At first I thought it was _The Hawk_ coming back because he forgot something, but then I heard three voices. Two were muffled and I couldn't make out who they were, but one of them I recognised as a Human. Quickly I dropped to the floor and made to roll under the bed when suddenly I could hear them moving the bookcase in front of the door. I panicked and curled up into a corner of the room, furthest away from the door, hoping they would take a look at the bed and realise nobody was there. I was wrong.

One of them dragged me out and threw me into the candle lit office, onto a chair and... Well you know the rest.

Suddenly I woke up to a scream coming from Clara's room. I sat up quickly, getting ready to run to her room, when I looked at the figure sitting in the chair next to the door.

 _Athrodar..._

Had he stayed the night? Did he sleep in that chair all night? I looked at him closely as he was sleeping and noticed he was... Smiling? "Athrodar?" I whispered.

"Hm?"

I jumped a little, having not expecting him to answer. "Are you not going to wonder what that scream was about?"

"I know what it was. That's why I'm smiling."

I stretched as I got out of bed, making my way to the wardrobe. "Care to fill me in?"

I heard him chuckle "Elaria spent the night with an unwilling Clara. My guess is Clara woke up first and noticed she was in the bed with her."

I looked at him, puzzled expression on my face. "Wait, they're not together?"

Now he laughed. "As much as Elaria would want that, they're not, no." He got up from the chair, putting on his bow, quiver, sword and belt, "I best go help her with Elaria." He walked out the room.

 _He spent the night._ Not stopping myself from smiling at the thought. I got dressed and made my way to the living room where I saw Clara hiding behind Athrodar whilst Elaria was being held back by a frost spell.

"I told you to stay out of my room!" Clara cried.

"Come on, you know you loved it. My body wrapped around yours... feeling the heat coming from me. I know I loved it." Elaria purred.

"I... I know nothing of the sort." Clara seemed hesitant in saying that.

"Ah, the mage doesn't know how she feels. Perhaps I can persuade you." The frost dissipated and Elaria made to pounce on her.

Clara screamed and clung to Athrodar from behind. "Stop her, please!"

He sighed, clearly he was enjoying where this was going. "Elaria, leave her be. She's been tormented enough by waking up next to you."

"But you promised!"

"I said you could sneak in whilst she was sleeping, you've done that, now leave her alone." He looked like he was trying to suppress a fit of laughter that was threatening to come out.

"What!" Clara shrieked and let go of him.

"Sorry, she wouldn't let me sleep otherwise." He seemed sincere enough.

"You sold me for one night of sleep! I should have known an assassin would stab me in the back like this."

He turned and looked at Clara, putting one hand on her shoulder. I looked closely at this gesture. "I had a moment of weakness, I hadn't slept properly in two days. I won't sell you out like that again." He glanced over at Elaria, "Although I may not be able to stop her if she does it without my knowing."

"You're damn right you won't. I will make her mine soon." She grinned wickedly.

"In the meantime however, you will send a report to Ravenholdt, telling him that Lerx didn't go through with the assignment and that we give him the message not to fuck with us again."

She nodded at him and walked out the room. Clara put her hand on his arm that was rested on her shoulder, she mouthed the words thank you to him before walking back into her room.

He watched her walk back into her room before turning around and looking at me, smirking. "Enjoy the show?"

"Are they always like that?"

"Elaria chasing her around? Yeah, pretty much."

I looked around the room, making sure we were alone before stepping closer to him. "What's your history with her?" I nodded towards Clara's room. "She can't _just_ be your friend."

"Ah, you saw something?" I nodded, "We had a one night thing, it was nothing really, I was drunk and so was she. Most of it is a blur anyway."

 _He had been with someone?_ I could feel a part of me breaking inside. I didn't like the idea of him being with someone who wasn't me. "Oh..."

He narrowed his eyes at me, likely scanning my reaction, before nodding once. "I'll be taking my leave, if any of you need me I'll be downstairs in the dark booth." He left afterwards, aiming to head down stairs to the main part of the inn. I could see him put a hand on Elaria's shoulder, who was sat in a chair outside the room. She looked up at him as he whispered something to her, she nodded before glancing back at me.

Seeing me stare at them, she kicked the door shut with her foot. I wonder what he told her.

A few minutes had passed since he left, Clara made her way out of her room and smiled at me before heading towards the door. I smiled back before telling her, "Athrodar said he's at the 'dark booth', wherever that is."

"That's the booth you and Elaria were in last night before we came up here."

"Right, that would make sense seeing as it's in the darker part of the inn." I shook my head at the obvious connection, "Thanks."

"Care to join me there?" She offered her arm and I nodded, locking arms with her and making our way to where he sat. "Sorry for waking you up."

I smiled, shaking my head. "Don't worry, it was quite amusing to witness."

"Nice to know you find amusement in my torture."

"Clara I... I didn't... I wouldn't..."

She laughed, "Relax, I'm pulling your leg. I would have laughed if I witnessed it from your point of view."

We made our way towards the booth where Elaria and Athrodar were sitting. He was reading the letter Elaria drew up to send to this 'Ravenholdt'. We sat down in the only couch left that was empty. I looked towards the entrance of the inn and saw _The Hawk_ walking in with two guards, one of them with a bandage over his eye.

"What did you guys do to him and his men last night?"

Athrodar spoke up, still reading the letter. "Who?"

" _The Hawk."_

He chuckled at the name. "Oh, nothing in particular. Also he's name's Ted." He shook his head. "Light knows where he got _The Hawk_ from." He read the rest of the letter before folding it up and putting it in an envelope. Pouring wax on the back and stamping it with the back of his dagger. "I'll be right back." He got up and left.

As he left I leaned in towards the table, the other two women copying me. "Has he always been this professional? You know, since joining an assassin organisation."

"What do you mean?" Asked Clara.

"I mean, whenever he came home from duty, he was always relaxed and tried to keep his ranger life and personal life separate."

"In that case, yes." Replied Elaria, "We have to you see. It's part of our training to be alert at all times and only relax when we know we're perfectly safe. Even then, _he_ isn't fully relaxed."

"Do you know why?"

"Unfortunately, yes." She closed her eyes. "He was on a mission with a Troll named Juuraz. They got a tip that they were being followed for the past three days. Hearing this they were alert for the entire duration of their mission. Apart from one night. They believed whomever was following them gave up their pursuit and stopped. They relaxed that night by having a few drinks and discussing the way they'd go about this mission. It was only when it was too late to do anything that the guy following them killed Juuraz where they sat." She sighed. "He believes that if he was alert at the time he would have been able to stop it from happening."

"You don't think that?"

"I wasn't there, so I couldn't say. But would I blame him for it? No."

A few weeks passed after this conversation without much happening. After Athrodar gave the letter to a courier he began to settle in and what he calls relax. We had a few conversations between each other every now and then in the first week, albeit very one sided. He has tried to put some distance between us two by always finding some excuse not to sit down and talk with me. At first this was upsetting, he never used to go out of his way to make sure he didn't walk in my direction, but after five years of being an assassin and potentially erasing all his memories of his past self, he seemed to do it a lot. Now when he finds and excuse not to talk with me it just becomes infuriating.

Elaria on the other hand has been very kind to me these past few weeks. Maybe it's a woman thing, but she seems to split her professional life and her social life really well. It's been fun watching her torment Clara too, although I'll never admit it to her. At one point, Elaria joined her in the shower. You can guess how that went down seeing as Clara knows a small bit of frost magic. Let's just say Elaria came out of the shower not expecting to be cold and frozen, more the opposite.

I've been speaking with them both about Athrodar and his behaviour around me which Elaria found odd. According to her, he's great to be around in the worst of circumstances and hilarious when drunk. Clara on the other hand understands why he is like this. She believes he is getting flashbacks when I'm around him. Something to do with his memory trying to come back to him due to someone in his past life being in his present. She also told me he gets mild headaches when this occurs. I don't know how I feel about this though. I'm happy because there's a chance he'll remember his feelings about me, but I'm also upset because I'm causing him discomfort and I don't like the idea of me doing that to him.

After nearly a month had passed, they finally got a reply back from someone called Emma Webb giving them a new assignment. According to Elaria, she was a forsaken who was with them since the beginning, but made her way up the chain of command quicker due to being more efficient. She didn't mind however as that meant her and Athrodar would get to explore more of the world with every new assignment.

I wasn't looking forward to them getting a new assignment though, as it would mean they'll have to leave Booty Bay and there was a chance I'd get left behind.

"She's staying here." Athrodar said whilst looking over the task they were given.

"Why can't we take her with us?" Clara looked at me then back at Athrodar, "She won't be a threat."

"She'll get in the way."

"I won't."

Still looking at the letter he received, "I don't care, you're not coming."

"Look, she said she won't get in the way."

"I don't even feel comfortable taking _you_ with us. The only reason I am is because you know what we do more than she does."

"You don't think I know what you do? I promise you, I won't get in the way."

"My answer is still no."

Elaria finally spoke up, "Stubborn fool, just take her with us. If she gets in the way, leave her there when we get our next assignment."

"You mean when we fail?"

"We wo- Will you look at me for a damn second!" Athrodar put the letter down and looked at Elaria, raising an eyebrow in the meantime. "We won't fail, because she's not an idiot. She won't get in our way if she stays at a safe house nearby."

He looked around at all three of us then back at Elaria. "No."

She slammed her fist into the table, "Fuck sake, just take her with us!" She snapped.

Athrodar stood up and slammed a dagger into the same table. "For the last time Elaria, I said no!" He was furious now.

In return, Elaria slammed her dagger into the table. "And I'm saying take her!" Clara and I stepped away from the two of them momentarily. "She'll be my responsibility if that's what it takes, but you're not leaving this poor girl who cares for you and has suffered five years of her life not knowing where you are for you just turn her away!"

He sat down in the booth and started reading the letter again. "Deal."

"I'm sorry?"

"Deal."

"What do you mean _deal_?"

"She's your responsibility now, if she fucks up, you fuck up. You'd better hope she doesn't, as it will go down in the next debrief as your fuck up, not a civilians."

"She won't"

"Again, you'd better hope she doesn't."

Elaria turned and walked to me and Clara. "See, easy as that."

I scoffed, "That looked anything but easy."

"Okay so it wasn't punting a gnome easy, you should try that by the way it's really fun, but I got him to agree taking you with us." She put an arm around me, "Besides, I enjoy your company. Not as much as having her around," She nodded at Clara, "But I still enjoy your company nonetheless."

Clara rolled her eyes "So when are we heading out?"

"Within a couple of days."

"Where are we going?" I asked

"Ah, that's for me to know and for _you_ to find out."

Athrodar spoke up "Silvermoon."

"Hey! It was meant to be a secret."

A wave of shock rolled over me at the name. "S-Silvermoon?"

Elaria sighed, "Yeah... I wanted it to be a secret bu- Thalina? Are you okay?"

I shook my head "I'm fine, Why do you ask?"

Clearly not buying my lie, she narrowed her eyes. " _Thalina._ Tell me"

I sighed. "We used to live in the outskirts of Silvermoon and..." I trailed off.

"And what?"

"My father is one of the council members in Silvermoon city, working with the Regent Lord himself."

"Don't worry about him, we don't go for any of the higher ups, unless the leader of their city requests it, and even then that's rare."

"Okay, good." I looked at Athrodar, "Who's the target anyway?"

"Grand Magister Telramar Dawnstrider."

"WHAT!" I screamed.

"Wait, sorry.. Misread it." He smirked. _Smirked_. He misread the letter thinking it said to kill my father and he's _smirking!?_ "It's to kill someone he calls 'A thorn in his side'. Some Magister that is giving him grief about letting you, of all people, serve under him in training to be the next Grand Magister of Silvermoon." He looked at me, "Fancy title." I stuck my tongue out at him and made my way back to our room to get packed.

The next two days flew by. Clara and I were busy packing and buying supplies for the trip, whilst Elaria studied a beautiful looking dagger she bought. Athrodar on the other, hand was mapping out the best route to take whilst making a potion that would disguise Elaria and Clara as Blood Elves whilst we stay in Silvermoon for the duration of the mission.

"Will they work?" I asked Athrodar when we got back. We were alone in my room where all the supplies were.

"Yes."

"Good..." I looked down at the floor. "Hey Athrodar.."

"Hm?"

"Can we talk?"

"Busy."

"You're not doing anything that can't be done later. It won't take more than five minutes, ten at max."

"Later." He made for the door, which I quickly locked with a spell. He turned around and looked at me. "Open it."

"No, not until we sit down and talk."

He sighed. "I haven't got time for this, we need to pack."

"In case you haven't noticed, we're already packed for tomorrow's journey." I waved my hand around the room, showing we were already done. Luckily his weapons were in another room, so he couldn't threaten me with them. "Can you just stop trying to avoid this and talk to me?"

"Talk to you about what exactly?"

"The headaches."

"How did you..."

"Women talk, and considering you're surrounded by them, It shouldn't be a surprise that I knew about them."

"Then if they've told you about them, there's nothing else to say. You should already know everything I know about them, now open this door."

I took a couple steps closer to him. "You can tell me what happens to you for these to happen."

"I don't know exactly. I get some sort of flashback to a past I don't remember, but looks familiar. Door"

I took a couple more steps towards him. "What brings them on?"

"It's when you look a certain way, I don't know. It's hard for me to explain." I could see him getting uncomfortable.

I took a few more steps towards him until I was directly in front of him. Looking up at him I whispered, "Try."

"When Elaria dragged you out of that room, you know in the office?" I nodded, "You were crying and something happened to me. It was like I was thrown back into the past, except I didn't recognise anything. The only common factor of that vision was the way you were looking at..." He stopped talking for a second before moving back against the door and slowly sliding down to the floor whilst his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose.

I knelt down, pulling his hood back from his head and resting my forehead on his. "Did you get another one?" My voice was low.

He only nodded.

"Talk to me." My voice still low.

"About what!" He cried. I moved back, noticing a couple of tears running down his cheek.

"Oh, Athrodar..." I hugged him tightly and he broke down in my arms. "What did you see?"

"Our last night together." He managed to say. "I didn't want to go."

"Shh, I'm here now." I was lightly stroking circles in his back.

"Make it stop _Dalah'surfal,_ Please." My heart ached at the sentence. I pulled him away briefly, looking into his eyes.

Doing the only thing I could think of, I lightly kissed him on the lips before he pulled me closer and kissed me hard, separating my mouth with his tongue and finding mine. I was surprised at first, but reacted to it and was kissing him back. Suddenly he stopped kissing me, only to stand up, picking me up in the process and carry me to the bed where we continued to make out whilst removing pieces of clothing. I removed his tunic whilst he ripped my robe off me. I wasn't wearing anything underneath it except underwear.

He started kissing me all over. Down the neck, along the chest, kissing my breasts and down to my abdomen. He stopped for a second to remove my underwear, then continued down. Starting from the lower thighs and working his way up, then switching to another one. He was teasing me, knowing where I wanted him but not rewarding me just yet. As he made his way up my other thigh he stopped and came back up to me, kissing me hard when suddenly...

I closed my eyes and gasped with pleasure. Opening my eyes again and looking into his, he put one finger inside me and slowly massaged before adding another shortly after. I was rocking my hips on his hand, my moans becoming louder as I rocked faster. Lucky nobody else was home, at least I hope not. Before too long, I was crying out his name as he made his way back down between my legs, licking me down there as if he was hungry for me, I could only cry out half his name before climax.

After collecting myself for a few second I made my way to him and started kissing him again. He broke away quickly and got completely undressed before sitting on the bed, back against the board and bring me on top of him. I straddled his hips and guided him inside me. Our love making was good, passionate in fact and very vigorous. Feeling him inside me made me love him even more and I hoped the feeling was mutual. What started out as getting him to talk to me, ended up as the best night of my life. We made love for hours, only resting until we were ready to go again. We slept in each others arms that night, not wanting to separate ourselves, not after the bonding session we just had, trying to catch up on what could have been five years of this.

As morning came, I woke up and he was still here, stroking my hair as I lay in his arms.

"Mmm, Morning." I moved my head up to kiss him.

"Morning." He kissed me back.

"We're heading home today."

"Yes, you are."

I noticed the change of words. "You used to live there too you know." I was drawing circles in his chest with my index finger.

"Used to, not any more. It will only be for a week, two at most. City missions tend to take a while, even for me and Elaria."

"Where will you go after it's done?"

" _We_ will come back here. I've grown to like this place, good base of operations whilst we wait for another task."

I blinked more than normal, surprised by what he said. "You're taking me back with you after the task is done?"

"Unless you don't want me to."

"No no, I do. Just didn't expect it." I kissed him again, "I love you."

"I love you." He kissed me back. Hearing those words hit me hard and made me want him.

I straddled his hips as he lay there. Leaning down towards him and locking my lips with his, he copied me and added more pressure into the kiss. I made a small sound at the back of my throat before pulling away. "Do you think we have enough time?" I whispered to him.

He smirked, "Maybe enough for one round."

We made love again and to my surprise, we had time for another round. After we finished, we got dressed, I wore one of his cloaks that had a hood, then we started moving the supplies to the front door. When everything was moved, I noticed Clara and Elaria giving me a mischievous smile. "What?"

"Nooooothing." The both said at the same time.

I shook my head and made my way to the horses we had waiting. Having only expected three people to be going, we only had three horses.

"She'll ride with me." Athrodar said, pulling me up and placing me in front of him. Then wrapped one arm around me and had another on the reins. I leaned back against him with my eyes closed. "They know by the way." He whispered in my ear before kissing it.

"How?" I whispered back.

"According to them, it was hard to miss what was going on when my name was being screamed out by you." He chuckled.

Embarrassed, I pulled the hood of the cloak over my head and covered my face with it. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I'm not." He kissed my cheek as we set off on our way to Silvermoon City. To home.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Trip Part 1**

The trip to Silvermoon will be a long one. We will take the ship from Booty Bay to Ratchet in The Barrens then travel to Orgrimmar, following the road through The Crossroads and Razor Hill. Take a Zeppelin to Tirisfal Glades and ride through the Plaguelands until we hit Southern Quel'Thalas (now known as The Ghostlands), then we will ride to Silvermoon City. The whole trip will take close to a month if we went by foot, luckily we're not, so it shouldn't take any longer than a two weeks at most.

"Couldn't we just take the Translocator Orb in The Ruins of Lordaeron to Silvermoon?" asked Thalina.

During the time she stayed with us in Booty Bay, I kept getting flashbacks to a past that is becoming clearer each time. The last one I had before we spent the night in bed together was the strongest one yet, bringing on raw emotions from that time into the present. I found out how much I cared for this woman and how much pain I must have put her through these last five years.

"We could, but since we're on a task to kill someone in Silvermoon, we don't want to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves by using it." I said to her.

"Wait, you have an orb that transports you from one city to another, halving the time of the trip and you're suggesting we _don't_ use it?" Clara shook her head. "Seems like a waste of time doing it all by horseback."

"For reasons I just explained, we're assassins, we don't do things because they're convenient. We do things that won't draw attention to ourselves. Besides, we're not on horse back now." We were on a ship heading towards Ratchet from Booty Bay, this will take us at least three days to arrive there.

"Bah, who cares." Elaria shrugged, "Just means more time seeing places other Alliance members won't be as lucky to see outside of war."

"Aren't you going to kill a Horde member in a Horde city?"

"Listen, Thalina, what we're doing isn't about Alliance or Horde. It's just a job that needs to be done by certain skilled people. It just so happens that my race is affiliated with the Alliance." Elaria sat down and started eating. Waving a chicken leg around, "Besides, if what I've heard about Silvermoon is true, it's a beautiful city... Despite the recent encounters in the past."

In the corner of my eye I saw Thalina's head shoot up from the book she was reading. "I can take you to all the good places when we get there." Her smile was beaming, "The city was my home whilst I was studying to be a Magister."

"I won't turn down that offer." Elaria looked at Clara, "What do you say? We could make a day out of it, just us three."

"Sure! But wait, what about Athrodar?"

"What about me?"

"Don't you want to join?"

"As much as I'd _love_ to join you on a girls day out, I'm going to be gathering information on our target."

"See, like I said, just us three. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to chow down on this food."

The rest of the trip towards Ratchet was full of similar conversations. Thalina telling them about Silvermoon most of the day and what time she had left, she spent with me. As we arrived in Ratchet, I could see the population was predominantly Horde. Although it was a neutral town, I still had an uncomfortable feeling two of our members weren't welcome here.

"Hoods up, stay alert."

Everyone nodded and complied, mounting up and making our way off the boat. I could already see several glares coming our way, most of them aimed at Elaria and Clara.

Elaria steered her horse towards me and Thalina, her voice was low "Let's not linger here any longer than is needed."

I nodded, "Agreed." I replied in a similar tone. "We'll stay here for the night, gather any supplies that we need and head off in the morning."

We arrived at the inn and bought two rooms for the night. After making our way to the rooms and settling down for a bit, we decided to take a trip around the town, Elaria going with Thalina and me with Clara. This way we have mixed groups and will have less likely of a chance to be attacked by anyone daring enough to do so.

"So, how are you two doing?"

"Thalina and I?" She nodded, "As well as could be expected, considering the circumstances."

"Oh? Care to explain?"

I stopped walking, Clara stopping shortly after and turning to look at me. "Well I know how I feel about her, those memories came back."

"But?"

"When she starts talking about the past we had, however short, I can't remember most of it."

"I see."

"Do you?"

"Well, I may not fully understand what you're going through, but I can hazard a guess as to what she's going through."

"And what do you think she's going through?"

"If I was to guess, she's happy you remember your feelings towards her, maybe even ecstatic. That's a great start."

"But it's not enough."

"Of course not. I'd also have to guess that it's killing her that the man she loves is only a fractured version of the one she fell in love with."

I said nothing else until we arrived at a market stall that had some supplies we needed. I left Clara to it whilst I wondered a few steps away, looking at a weapons store. I needed new knives as mine were getting a bit out of shape.

"Move out the way, pink skin." I looked back and saw an Orc push Clara out of the way so he could get to the front of the line.

She walked back to the front of the queue and yelled at the orc. "Listen here, _Green skin_ , I was at the front of the queue, now be like the bone head you are and wait your turn!"

This time he hit her with the back of his gauntleted hand, she stumbled back before falling to the floor. "Stay down, pup."

I started making my way towards the orc, hand on my sword and a dagger in case anything more happened.

She got back up, defying his orders to stay down, which is when he went to draw his weapon. I was already there.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." I had a dagger lined across his throat.

"You'd defend a pink skin?"

"Would I defend a pink skin? No. Would I defend a friend? Yes. Now do as the lady says and wait your turn."

"Pointy eared fuck," He snarled. "You're not worthy of the Horde."

I added a bit of pressure to his throat. "That's not a smart move my friend. See, from where I'm standing, I could easily slice your throat open and kill your friend over there," I nodded to where his friend was standing, axe in hand. "Before you even have a chance to react. Now you will wait your turn whilst she gets what she needs. Understand?"

He tried to nod, but realised that would be a fatal mistake. "Y-Yes."

"Good." I removed the dagger from his throat, cutting it a little so some blood drips out. I made my way over to Clara, I put a hand on her face and was lightly brushing my thumb over her cheek that was quickly bruising. "Let's get what you need and leave. I'd rather not be out in the open like this any longer."

She nodded and bought the supplies. Making our way back to the inn she stopped walking and pulled on my arm. I stopped and turned around to her. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Standing up to him. Who knows what would have happened if you weren't there."

"I'm sure you could handle yourself."

She shook her heard and looked up at me, tears visible in her eyes. "I-I don't know if... I probably.."

I extended out my arms and she walked into them, crying once I put my arms around her. "You're safe now."

"Thank you." She repeated.

"You've said that already," I joked, "Pick something else to say."

She laughed whilst still crying, then shook her head. A few second later, Elaria and Thalina found us, Clara still crying in my arms, albeit not as much.

Elaria made her way to use quickly before taking her from me. Seeing her face, Elaria asked me what happened to her and I nodded towards the Orc.

"I'll have his hide for doing this to her!" She cried.

"Relax, I've already dealt with it."

"He's still breathing, so clearly not!" She snapped at me.

"It's a neutral zone. I won't spill blood here unless we're being attacked."

"And you're telling me she wasn't attacked!? Look at her face!"

"Elaria, I'm fine."

Elaria looked down at Clara, putting her hands on her face. "I just don't like seeing you hurt. I know I tease you but I don't want to see you hurt."

Thalina made her way to me and whispered, "Are you sure they're not together?"

I chuckled and put an arm around her, "I'm sure." I looked at Elaria, "You should take her to a healer, see if they can do anything about that."

She nodded, bringing Clara with her whilst Thalina and I made our way back to the Inn and got settled in for the night. A few hours later Elaria had returned with Clara, who looked a lot better than she did.

As both Thalina and Clara went to sleep for the night, Elaria and I rotated night watch duty, sleeping in between shifts. This is was to make sure whomever that Orc and his friend were, wouldn't come by to try and hurt Clara.

Luckily nothing happened that night, walking into Thalina's room the next morning, I noticed she was already awake. "Had a good sleep?"

She shook her head. "Couldn't sleep without you here."

I smiled, "Well you can lean back against me and sleep whilst we move to our next destination. I'll make sure you don't fall off."

She yawned whilst nodding.

Making our way to the horses we had stabled away, Thalina was clinging to my arm to stay up right, she looked exhausted. I wonder if she slept at all last night.

I pulled myself up onto the horse then pulled her up after, placing her in front of me. I wrapped an arm around her waist whilst my other wrapped itself around the reins. She leaned back against me whilst I put cheek against hers. She looked up and kissed my ear, making it twitch, she smiled when she saw it then closed her eyes. "I love you." She whispered.

I kissed her temple. "I love you too"

We left in the early hours of the morning, giving Elaria and Clara plenty of time to drink the potion I gave them so they could be disguised as a Blood Elf. We rode for over ten hours before reaching Razor Hill. By the time we got there, Thalina had just woken up and saw we were already at Razor Hill. She would have fallen off the horse with shock had I not been there to hold her up.

"How did we get here so fast?"

"It's quite simple really, we took a detour. It was a little rough at first, but we made up at least a days ride." I looked at her. "Good morning. Or is it afternoon now?"

She smiled, "Doesn't matter. I woke up in your arms, so that makes it good no matter when it is." She leaned into me, "I also had a good dream." She winked at me, her voice was low.

"We know." Came a voice belonging to Elaria.

Thalina sat up straight quickly, I could see her ears twitching, same with the corner of her mouth. "You... know?"

"Honey, we could hear you moaning in your sleep." The voice came from Clara this time.

She turned her head slowly and looked at me, eyes wide. I could only smirk at her and nod. Embarrassed, she tried to make her way behind me to hide. I laughed before helping her out. Once behind me she clung to the back of me tightly, almost like she was trying to hide inside of me. I put my free hand behind me and rested it on her leg. She put a hand on mine, interlocking our fingers.

We made our way into Razor Hill and as usual, we rested at the inn there. Staying only one night to get refreshed and to buy any additional supplies before making our to the next destination in the morning.

Once we all got to the room we were sharing for the night, we noticed it was smaller than we had hoped. There was only one bed over all with one chair and one couch.

"I call the bed!" Before anyone could argue, Elaria ran into the room with the bed in and dived on top of it.

Clara took the couch and Thalina took the chair. I didn't mind this as I was going to share wherever we were going to sleep with Thalina. Although it had to be the smallest out of the three, I'll try to make it work.

Once we all got settled in, I went to find a herbalist to get more ingredients for the potion that made Clara and Elaria disguise as a Blood Elf.

After returning with the herbs, I collapsed into the chair. "Remind me to get lighter coloured clothing next time we're in Durotar. Black is not helping me cope with this heat." I removed my cloak and dropped in on the floor next to me.

Thalina came over and sat on my lap, facing me. She then cast a spell that almost instantly cooled me down. "Better?"

"Better." I pulled her close to me and kissed her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She rested her head on my forehead and laced her arms around my neck. "I missed you."

I chuckled, "I was gone for an hour, maybe two at tops."

"I know, but I still missed you." She kissed my ear.

"Well," I kissed her ear. "What," then her temple. "Are we," her cheek. "Going," the corner of her lips. "To do," under her jaw. "About it." finally kissing her neck, causing her to moan lightly.

Trying to compose herself, "W-Well if you c-carry on with this, I know what we c-could do about it."

I moved a hand down to her lower thigh, slowly moving it up, I was watching her reaction the whole time. She was biting her lower lip and started to arch her back the further up my hand went.

"Do you two need some alone time?" Came a voice.

Thalina screamed and fell off my lap. Causing Elaria – The owner of the voice – to double over in fits of laughter.

Clara rushed into the room, looking ready for a fight. "What happened? I heard a scream."

"I caught them both in an intimate moment and she fell off his lap." Elaria was still laughing, tears rolling down her face.

"It's not funny!" Thalina offered me her hand and I took it, pulling her up. "It's not nice to spy on people, especially if they're doing... stuff."

"Oh come on, it was hilarious." She wiped a tear from her eye as she stopped laughing. "I'll leave you two alone now." She took her leave, dragging Clara with her.

"Thalina," She folded her arms and looked down at the floor, embarrassed. "Come back here."

She shook her heard.

"Come on" I pulled at her arm until she came back to me, sitting on my lap once more. She curled up on me, the side of her head resting on my shoulder whilst she looked up at me.

"How long do you think she was standing there?"

I couldn't lie, "About five minutes."

"What! You knew she was there!?" She cried, sitting up and glaring at me.

"Well, yeah. It's part of my job to know my surroundings."

"And you just carried on?"

"I mean, I knew she would interrupt, I was going to see how far I could take it before she did." I rubbed her arms. "It was funny though."

She got off me, "I'm leaving."

I laughed, "I'm sorry, but it was." I stood up. "Come on, come back here."

She ignored me and walked into the bedroom, shutting the door and locking it afterwards.

I sat back down in the chair, getting comfortable and closing my eyes. "Ah well, might as well sleep now." I said to myself quietly.

A couple of hours passed of absolute silence, until I heard the bedroom door unlocking and opening slowly. She was looking into the room, noticing me on the chair feigning sleep. Of course she didn't know that. She gradually made her way towards me until she stood directly in front.

Like a cat pouncing at a mouse, I grabbed her arm and dragged her down onto me, kissing her deeply and she responded by doing the same before pulling away. "I-I thought you were sleeping."

"Aren't you glad I wasn't?" I winked at her.

"I'm still mad at you for not telling me she was watching us."

"So... You don't want to be intimate with me tonight?"

"No." I was disappointed, something she picked up on instantly. "But I will sleep here with you. If you want that of course."

"Better than not being with you."

"Good." She went back into the same position she was in before she left the room. I put an arm around her shoulder, moving her until her head lay on my chest.

I kissed her forehead as she drifted off to sleep. I followed shortly after.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Trip Part 2**

I woke up the next day with her still sleeping on me. I began to slowly move her off me so I could stand up, which is when she started to hold on to me lightly. "Nnnn... stay here."

I kissed her forehead. "Shh, I'll just be outside if you need me."

"I _always_ need you." She whispered, letting go of me.

I shook my head and smiled, moving her fully off me and standing up. I made my way out of the inn, looking down at the floor and sighing.

"Something on your mind kid?"

I looked up to where the owner of the voice was, seeing Elaria sitting on the roof of the inn. I looked back at the floor and smiled. "You're not that much older than me you know."

"Yeah, only a few centuries. Not _that_ much older at all." She hopped down. "What's up?"

I looked at the inn and back at Elaria. "I'll tell you, but not here." I began to walk away, Elaria following suit.

We made our way to the outer part of Razor Hill before I stopped and turned to her. "What am I doing?"

"You're walking away from the inn to talk to me."

I gave her a blank stare before answering. "No, I mean what am I doing with her?"

She tilted her head, "I don't follow."

Seeing that I needed to explain more of what I was on about, I continued. "What I mean is.." I trailed off before sighing. "What I mean is, what am I doing with Thalina. I'm leading her on to believe there is a life with me out there."

"Well isn't there?"

"From what I can see, I will only bring her pain."

"How d'you figure?"

"Nothing good will come from this life she wants – _needs_ – for us. We'll take her along with us to missions, and we may complete them, or we may fail them. But she will always be there because she cares for me."

"And this is bad because?"

"This is bad because if we fail due to her getting in the way, I'll have to leave her behind. You know as well as I do what our profession entails. That was the reason we cut out everything from our previous life."

"She promised herself that she wouldn't get in the way."

"And we promised to complete every mission with success, yet we still fail from time to time."

"There's nothing we can do about that sometimes."

"But there _is_ something we can do about _this_."

"You're not suggesting we leave her here? I won't accept that!"

"I'm not suggesting that we leave her here, no. But after the Silvermoon mission is done, we send word to her father on her whereabouts and we leave for HQ."

"Leaving her behind?"

"Yes."

I could see Elaria was pained by this. "I... Are you sure about this?"

"No, not at all. I came out to clear my head, not expecting you to be out there. But because you were, I seek your council on this matter."

"Athrodar you can't just... She loves you. I may not have known her long, but I care for her like a friend and you're like a brother to me. You can't suggest that I help you make this decision."

"What if we get hurt."

"I'm sorry?"

"What if we get hurt." I repeated. "You know, stabbed, hit by an arrow, take a spell to the chest, how do you think she'll react then?"

"She'll be worried for us, she'll be worried for you. We all will. What, do you expect to leave us behind if you get hurt? That's just crazy."

I chuckled lightly. "Perhaps it is. But you know as well as I do how dangerous some missions can be. I don't want to sacrifice myself when I could have avoided it if she weren't there."

"The odds of that are very slim and you'd be sacrificing yourself to save the one you love, that's both noble and stupid at the same time. But it's also the purest act of love and she won't forget it if made."

I scoffed. "Listen to us, we sound like deadly assassins right now, huh?"

She smiled and put an arm around my shoulder. "Come back to the inn, it's nearly time to leave for Orgrimmar and Zeppelins don't wait around for anyone."

We made our way back to the inn and saw Clara and Thalina waiting in a booth for us.

"There you are." Thalina got up and quickly ran to me, hugging me tightly. I looked over at Elaria and she was looking back at me.

"You ready to leave?" I said to them.

"Have been for a few minutes, just stayed here to wait for you two to return. Where were you anyway?"

Elaria spoke up. "We were just taking a stroll around town, discussing the mission."

"Oh, okay." Thalina looked up at me, "Let's go."

We made our way to the stables outside the inn and mounted up to make our way to Orgrimmar. The journey took two hours,as we were approaching the gates, we took a right along a road that led to the Zeppelins. Once there, we purchased a Zeppelin to Tirisfal Glades and within a few minutes we set off. This time we all had our separate rooms, Thalina sharing one with me.

"How long will this trip take?" asked Thalina, laying on the bed.

I made my way to the end of the bed and sat down, pulling her feet to my lap as I started to massage them. "At least a day if the weather is good."

She bit her bottom lip. "Mmm, only a day?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Whatever you're thinking," I kissed her foot. "It won't be silent."

She got to her hands and knees and started to slowly crawl towards me. "I don't care." She whispered to me, kissing me when she was close enough.

I leaned forward and began to kiss her deeply. She made a small noise in the back of her throat that urged me on more. I started moving forward whilst continuing the kiss, she was moving back until she lay down on the bed. I started to remove my tunic as she went to remove...

A knock at the door.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me." whispered Thalina.

I sighed. "I'll be right back, stay right there." I kissed her again before getting up and going to the door.

Upon opening it did I realise I wasn't wearing anything from the waist up. "What?"

It was Elaria. "Ah good, you're here. Look, these potions, how..." She started looking up and down at me. "Did I interrupt something?" She was smirking.

"As a matter of fact, you did. But about the potion, what do you need to know?"

She tried to take a look into the room. Seeing this I started closing the door until only my head was visible. "Is she..." Her eyes widened as I gave her a look to confirm what she was thinking. "Anyway, how long do these potions last? Just need to be sure when I should take the next lot to keep up this disguise."

"A couple more hours at most. You'll know when it starts to fade as you'll start turning back to normal."

"Let's hope that's not in the company of any Horde members then." She turned around to leave. "Have fun."

"Yeah yeah, go." I shut the door after she left. Turning around to look at Thalina lay across the bed in an inviting manner. "Where were we?"

I started making my way towards the bed, she giggled and threw herself around me.

The next couple of hours went by uninterrupted as we made love on every possible surface in the room, ending up exhausted in the bed. After catching her breath, Thalina lay on top of me and gave me a long kiss. "We don't do this as often as I'd like."

I returned the kiss, "If we did _that_ as often as you'd like, we would still be in Booty Bay."

"Is that so bad?" She winked at me.

"I suppose not. Although the boss wouldn't take that as an excuse to not do a mission."

"Well... Perhaps when this mission is done... We could..." She looked at me with a mischievous glint in her eye.

I raised my eyebrows. "That's one way to celebrate a successful mission."

I began to sit up and she got off me so I could, only to sit on my lap facing me once I did. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a long, deep kiss.

After she pulled away, "Are you trying to get me back into bed?" I asked her.

She bit her bottom lip. "Maybe."

I rest my forehead against hers and laughed lightly. "As much as I'd love to spend this whole Zeppelin ride in bed with you, I need to make more of those potions so Clara and Elaria don't run out." I kissed her neck.

She sat back a little and pouted. "Please, just another hour." Then she started to bat her eyelashes. "Pretty please."

I groaned, "This will only work once." I stood up whilst she giggled and wrapped her legs around my waist. I turned around and lay her on the bed, following her after and kissed her deeply. We kept this up for five minutes before we started removing each others clothing. For the next hour we made love, not vigorous and wild but slow and passionate love, enough to satisfy each others lust for the rest of the trip. Although I know our lust wouldn't be sated for long until we needed each other again.

I put my arm around Thalina and pulled her to me, kissing her on the forehead. "I gotta go."

She kissed me on the lips. "Thank you for staying."

I moved my hand to her face, rubbing her cheek with my thumb. "I'm glad you made me stay." I kissed her back.

"Mmm, maybe I can make you stay a little longer." She started drawing circles on my chest.

I smiled. "Okay."

She gasped. "Really! You'll stay a little longer?"

"No." I got up to leave.

She dived across the bed and grabbed my hand. "What!? You promised."

"No, you said maybe you can make me stay a little longer and I said okay, agreeing to you trying to make me stay longer. You didn't, so I made to leave." I held her hand up to my face a lightly brushed a kiss on her knuckles.

"You tricked me." She looked up at me, bottom lip quivering.

I looked at her and put a hand to her face. "I did, yes." I walked out the room.

She was still sitting on the bed looking at the door when I popped my head back into the room, "I'm not falling for that." I pointed at the her quivering lip that stopped immediately after I called her out on her bluff.

"Fine.. I'm angry with you though!"

I began to walk down the corridor, "No you're not."

I made my way to the storage room where I put the herbs. Upon reaching the herbs I heard a noise behind a few crates at the back of the room.

I crouched down and had my hand on a dagger that was sheathed on my back.

I slowly made my way towards the noise, keeping one hand on my dagger and another brushing against crates and boxes to keep me steady as I moved slowly whilst being crouched.

As I reached the end of the storage room, I started making my way around the boxes to sneak up behind whomever was in here. I got to the origin of the sound, sneaking up behind who was making it, unsheathing my dagger and laying it across the throat of...

"A gnome?"

I drew my dagger away from his throat as he started crying as soon as I spoke. "Oh please! PLEASE! Don't kill me." His legs were shaking and he fell to the floor, seemingly praying at me. "I didn't mean to be here, just don't kill me."

I made a sound of disgust in my throat. "Ugh." I lightly kicked his side. "Get up."

But he didn't, so I picked him up by the leg whilst sheathing my dagger with my other hand. He was dangling upside down and I brought his face to mine. The sight would have been amusing.

"If you didn't mean to be here, why are you here?"

"I... This Goblin stole my plans, yes! He stole my plans for a new type of transport and I'm here to get them back!"

His voice was shrill and I wanted to stuff his mouth with something so he would stop talking. "Fine. But you're coming with me."

I walked out the room, stopping only to collect the bag of herbs I came here for. I made my way to Clara's room, knocking on the door to the best of my ability, all things considered.

She opened the door and without need of an explanation, she let me in.

"Do I even need to ask?" Elaria was there too.

I dropped the gnome on the floor. "I hoped you didn't." I sighed. "What should we do with him?"

"I say we punt him off the side of the Zeppelin. I'd like to see the splash as he hit the water."

"What!" He cried "No, please!" His voice got even higher and more annoying, I winced at the pitch of it.

I looked at Clara and before I had to say anything she put a silencing spell on him. "Thanks." She nodded. I turned to Elaria, "We can't do that. As much as it would please me, he's not our target."

"Nobody has to know..." She folded her arms and slumped back in the chair she was in, pouting at me.

I stroked my face as if I had a beard. "True."

"You two can't actually be considering dropping this Gnome into the ocean, hundreds.. if not thousands of miles away from land."

"You have a point. Although Elaria's plan is more entertaining."

The gnome made muffled sounds and shook his head rapidly.

"Athrodar!" I raised my eyebrow at the call of my name, turning around and seeing Thalina standing there looking shocked.

"What?" Noticing I still held the bag of herbs, I threw them on a chair nearby.

"You know what! You can't just throw him overboard for your pleasure."

"Hey, it's not just _my_ pleasure. Elaria would enjoy it as well."

Elaria nodded. "It's true, I would enjoy that."

" _I_ _don't care_. Like you said, he's not your target, just hand him over to the goblins onboard and let them deal with him."

I sighed, turning back to Elaria. "She has a point."

She scoffed in return. "Ruin our fun." she mumbled.

I smirked before turning to face Thalina, "Your plan, you take him to them. Tell them you found him snooping around the storage room."

She nodded and took him with her. Upon leaving the room I turned back to Elaria. "What are you doing in Clara's room anyway?"

"We were just talking." A lie.

"You were just talking?"

"Yup. Just talking... Two girls, hanging out... Talking about stuff... Juuuust talking.."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What about?"

She glanced towards Clara quickly then back at me. "Uhm."

I took a step forward. "Uhm? Did you just suddenly forget what you were talking about?"

Clara quickly made to stand by Elaria, but I put my arm out to stop her, taking another step towards Elaria. "Well?"

She gulped. "We... Were... Talking about... Yoouurr... Birthday?"

"Is that a question?"

"No." Clara this time, the word shot out before she realised she said it, putting both her hands on her mouth. I glanced back at her and took another step towards Elaria.

"What about my birthday?"

"We were talking about... What to get you... For your birthday... Yes, what to get you." She nodded, seemingly not agreeing on what she just said.

"Really? What to get me on my birthday?"

She nodded again.

"Funny, because my birthday was three months ago."

" _Shit._ "

Amused I caught her out, I stepped away from her. Only to now step closer towards Clara, looking at her in the eyes. "You have five seconds to tell me why she was here." I didn't truly care as to why she was here. It was just fun to torture them for what could possibly be useless information.

She stepped back but to no avail, she hit a wall within two steps. "Or what?"

I took a stop closer. "Five."

She glanced at Elaria before looking back at me. I took another step closer. "Four."

She closed her eyes and looked away from me. I took another step closer. "Three."

She started shaking her head in defiance to telling me anything. I took another step towards her. "Two."

"I slept with her!" I stopped in my tracks, raising my eyebrows and turning around to face Elaria who was on her knees.

I was confused at first on why they couldn't just tell me at first, but then I remembered that night I spent with Clara and I hadn't told Elaria. Maybe she said the same thing to Elaria so I wouldn't know.

"That's it?" I began to laugh.

"Y-Yes. Why is that funny?"

I turned to look at Clara who was shaking her head that was planted in her hands. When she looked up at me, I knew she hadn't told Elaria about us two.

Turning back to face Elaria, "Nothing. Just didn't expect you to keep that a secret after all you've done to try and get her into bed." I shook my head and leaned against the nearest wall. "When did this happen?"

Clara made her way to Elaria, pulling her to her feet and then standing in front of her as if she was about to defend her from an onslaught that wasn't coming. "Ratchet."

"I'm sorry?"

"It started at Ratchet, after she took me to the healer. I could see she was in distress about me being hurt, she cared for me, which is when I started to have ... Feelings... For this woman."

I looked at Elaria, she clearly didn't like to be reminded of Clara being in pain. "I... I thought..." She was a loss for words.

Clara continued, "When we got to Razor hill and you two were sleeping on that chair in each others arms, cute by the way, is when I guess you could say that I made my move."

She leaned back slightly against Elaria. Who in return put her hands on her shoulders. "I brought her into the room with the bed and we..." She trailed off.

I put my hand up in recognition of what she was trying to say, stopping her before she could carry on. "Why wasn't I told about this earlier? You know I wouldn't mind if you two kids got together."

"We didn't want to tell anyone about us just yet, it's literally hours old."

"Wait.. What do you mean us? I thought it was just a one night thing."

They were silent now.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Trip Part 3**

A couple of minutes passed of pure silence before Clara spoke up. "We..." she paused before starting again. "After our night together we spoke for a bit. During that time Elaria said she didn't want this to just be a one night thing. I had to agree with her on that, I didn't want it to be a one night thing either." She turned to look at Elaria, "She cares for me and even though she has tormented for the past few weeks, I think I care for her as well."

I looked up at Elaria as she was looking back at Clara. "Is this true?"

"Yes. When I saw her in Ratchet after that Orc stuck her, I was hurt that I wasn't there to protect her. I don't want her to get hurt at all." She looked terrified at what might happen to Clara if she's not there.

"So..." I paused, thinking of what to say next. "This _thing_ between you two, whatever it is, is new?"

"Yes." Replied Clara.

"And I take it I'm the only one who knows?"

"Well.." She looked at the floor. "Thalina already knows."

"How?"

"When you and her," She tapped Elaria's hand. "Were wondering around Razor Hill, she and I were talking and I told her."

"So I was the last to find out?"

"Don't take it personally, we were going to tell you."

"Fair enough." I stopped leaning on the wall and made my way to the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Elaria.

"Well, unless you want to remain a Night Elf in Horde territory, I suggest you allow me to leave and make the potions."

"Oh, right. Just one more thing." She made her way to me and hugged me. Something I wasn't expecting as it was out of character for her to hug me. "Thank you for understanding." She whispered to me.

I pat her on the back, "You know I'd understand. You're like a sister to me." I pulled away from the hug, picking up the bag of herbs and walking out the door, back to my room.

The rest of the journey to Tirisfal Glades went by without any incident. I made enough potions for the remaining trip to Silvermoon whilst everyone else went about their business.

We went through Tirisfal Glades on horseback but had to leave them at The Bulwark before entering the Western Plaguelands.

"Goodbye boy." Said Thalina, stroking the horse's nose one last time.

"Come on, the easy part of the trip is over." I gently pulled her away from the horse and we set off into the Western Plaguelands.

We were making good time, we got halfway through Western Plaguelands before anyone attacked us. Even then we only got attacked by a couple of undead here and there, they were wondering away from a massive cell of scourge. As we passed into the Eastern Plaguelands, I could see a massive difference in how tainted the ground was with the plague and why it was probably best to keep our horses stabled away at The Bulwark.

"Expect to be attacked from anywhere." I told the group.

"This place stinks of undeath..." Mumbled Clara as she pulled a mask over her nose and mouth.

"We're going to have to pass by major Scourge strongholds to get into Quel'Thalas. We need to be quick but quiet when we pass them."

I looked back at Thalina and saw she was walking close behind me, as if she was trying to shield herself behind me from the sight of the plague.

As much as I wanted to protect her out here, it was going to be impossible if we're attacked by a group of undead and she stood there doing nothing.

I stopped suddenly and she walked into the back of me.

"Sorry." She said to me.

I turned around and put my hands on her arms. "Look at me Thal," She did. "I know it's scary out here. Seeing this place reminds you of that butcher than came into our kingdom and decimated our population, but you need to be strong. If we get attacked, I need to know you have our backs like we have yours."

She looked so young in that moment, too young to be out here in the plaguelands, too young to have witnessed what she has in her life. She shook her head quickly to get rid of any negative thoughts and focused on me. "I've got your back."

I kissed her forehead, "Good." We started walking again, Clara and Elaria waiting for us just up the road.

Just as we made it back to them, I heard rustling in the bushes next to us. Without thinking, Elaria and I drew our bows, nocking arrows and aimed at the bush.

"Come out!" Elaria shouted at the bush. But that's not where the attack came from.

Before we had a chance to notice, a group of ten ghouls came running towards us from behind, targetting Clara and Thalina. Elaria span on her heel and fired an arrow at the first ghoul, landing between the eyes, making it stumble and collapse in half at the sheer power of the shot.

I fired an arrow at the bush and out came a plaguehound. The arrow hit it in the side but didn't take it out. Snarling, the plaguehound came rushing towards me and pounced in the air, I dropped my bow and drew my sword, thrusting it in the air and impaling the plaguehound. It went limp as I dropped my sword, watching it slide off whilst doing so.

I turned around to join the fight behind us and saw four more ghouls on the floor.

"Burn the bodies!" I cried.

Clara and Thalina done so without question. It was then that I noticed a necromancer in the back, raising more undead.

"Thal!" She turned her head at me. "Stay with Elaria, clear out these ghouls. Clara."

"Yes."

"Come with me, we're taking out that necromancer."

"Sure!"

We made our way through the remaining ghouls and faced the necromancer.

He cackled, "So, a lowly mage and her elven pup. Save us the trouble of fighting and bend to my will."

I smirked, "Shame, I was looking forward to a fight."

"Foolish boy, you don't stand a chance!"

Just as he said that, Clara sent a ball of fire towards him. He blocked it with his own spell, which gave me time to fire an arrow into his arm.

He rounded on me, "Call that an attack? Hah! That was nothing." He quickly cast a small necromantic spell and threw it at me. It was too fast, I couldn't dodge it. Luckily Clara was there and cast a small barrier that soaked up the spell. For all its speed, it wasn't strong enough to break the barrier.

"Enough!" He snarled. "You're not worth my time!."

Elaria and Thalina were standing by us now, having killed all the scourge that was accompanying the necromancer.

"You're going nowhere. Face your end, necromancer!" Thalina cried

He chuckled. "My dear, I can sense power inside you. You'd make a powerful pawn for the Lich King. As for my end? No, it will not come today..." He sounded confident and before we could kill him, black smoke surrounded him and us. When the smoke cleared, he was gone.

"Cute trick," mumbled Elaria, "Lucky for him he had that spell, or he would be dead right about now."

"That he would," I looked over at Thalina, "You alright?"

She was just standing there, staring at where the necromancer was.

I slowly walked to her, stretching out my hand for her to grab. "Thal?"

She took my hand whilst still staring at the spot. "What did he mean a powerful pawn for the Lich King?"

"Who knows, I suppose that because you're a mage, you'd be something the Lich King would want."

She shook her head. "But why me specifically? He didn't say it to Clara."

"I'm sure he didn't mean you per-"

"She's right." Clara interrupted.

I looked over at Clara. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is. That necromancer was talking about her personally. She's a Magister is she not?"

I nodded.

"Well that should be one indication that she would be a strong asset for the Lich King. Also, us mages can sense power in other mages. Unlike muscle, we can sense how much magic one can posses at any one time. This is how she got judged into being a Magister."

I pinched my nose. "Hold on. So you're telling me, she _is_ someone the Lich King would want? All because some necromancer said that she has power inside her that he could sense?"

"Pretty much."

I studied Clara's expression and saw she wasn't kidding. "So we need to get her and ourselves to safety before more members of the Scourge come looking for her."

"I couldn't agree more." Said Elaria.

"It's a days walk through the rest of the Plaguelands if we take it at normal travelling speed. Seeing as we could be being hunted now, I say we make for the borders of Quel'Thalas and fast."

Clara and Elaria nodded and were getting ready to leave, I picked up my bow and walked back to Thalina who seemed lost in thought. "Baby I need you to focus now."

She snapped back into reality and looked at me in the eyes. "Right, sorry."

"Don't be. We're heading to Quel'Thalas now, no resting in between here and there, you got that?"

She nodded.

I kissed her on the forehead. "Okay, let's go."

We made our way through the rest of Eastern Plaguelands, making up more time than I thought we would. As we got closer to Quel'Thalas, I noticed the change in landscape was drastic, the plague didn't affect the land in Quel'Thalas as it did in Lordaeron.

"The dead scar.." I said to myself quietly.

As we crossed through Thalassian Pass, I noticed a couple of rangers stationed nearby to fend off any wondering scourge.

"Halt! Who dares enter Quel'Thalas?" The leader spoke in Thalassian.

I replied in the same tongue. "Four Sin'dorei returning home after a long journey."

The leader of the group looked to his second in command then back at us. "Welcome home brother."

We approached the group of Elves that allowed us entrance, clasping forearms with their leader. "Thank you." I said to him.

"What brings you this far south of Silvermoon?"

"We were returning from an ambassadorial mission to Undercity."

He inspected me. "You're ambassadors?"

I realised he saw how heavily armed Elaria and I were. "We," I indicated to me and Elaria. "are not, no. However the other two are and they needed protection getting through the Plaguelands."

He seemed to buy that lie. "Very well. There are not many towns left to inhabit since the Scourge invaded, I'm sure you know of Tranquillien?"

"Yes. Is that the closest one?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Then we best be off. Thank you...?"

"Captain, Captain Perlaeris Redsun."

"Ah, well thank you Captain Redsun."

We set off shortly after, making our way to Tranquillien. The roads were quiet, we heard scourge activity nearby but figured it was on The Dead Scar.

As we reached Tranquillien, night was upon us. We spent the remainder of it in a nearby inn and without question, we all collapsed in our beds and slept.

We awoke the next day, only to find out we all shared the same room. We were clearly too tired yesterday to notice. As I sat up, I saw the potions I gave Elaria and Clara were starting to wear off.

I reached over for my bag and pulled out two vials containing the potion. Knowing they wouldn't break I threw one at Elaria, forgetting I was a good shot, it hit her in the head.

"Ow.. What the?" She woke up

"Take it, quickly."

"Take wha.. huh?"

" _The potion!_ You're becoming yourselves again." I spoke in a hushed tone.

"Oh shit.." She quickly drunk some on her potion before I threw her Clara's which she handed to her after waking her up.

"Close call, imagine if we didn't all share a room."

"I don't even want to think about that, I wouldn't still be here if we didn't."

We got ready to leave shortly after, all pulling up our hoods so we don't get noticed by people who may know us.

As we were leaving the inn, the guards were having an incursion with some Scourge that were attacking Tranquillien.

"We should help them." Thalina said to me.

"They're fine, they're stationed here to do exactly this." I replied back.

That's what they were here for, specialist troops trained to take out Scourge members who decided to attack the few inhabitable towns left.

Whilst all the fighting was going on, we slipped out the town unnoticed and made our way to Silvermoon City. The trip wasn't long, compared to the journey through Eastern and Western Plaguelands, this was a safe trip. The roads were clear and patrols were walking up and down them to make sure it stayed that way.

As we arrived near Silvermoon City, Thalina tensed up in front of me. I put a hand on her shoulder to calm her. "What's up?"

"We're coming close to where we live, well... Lived." She pointed at a nearby village on the outskirts of Silvermoon City.

"Ah, you can go visit if you'd like? We will go settle in at the safe house we got provided to us in Silvermoon City."

"No, it's okay. I'd rather stay with you three anyway, all the questions about where I've been and what I've been doing is something I don't want right now."

"Okay." I looked around to make sure nobody could hear us then crouched down to her level. "If you do get approached by anyone who knows you, or even me, and they ask where you've been. Just tell them you travelled the world for a while and decided to come back to Silvermoon for a couple of weeks, you got that?"

She nodded then threw herself at me, arms going around my neck and hugging me tightly. "I got it."

I put my arms around her and whispered, "We're home."


	10. Chapter 10

**Silvermoon City**

We got to the house that was given to us by Grand Magister Telramar Dawnstrider as a base of operations.

"I know this place." Said Thalina.

"You do?" I asked.

"Yeah, my father owns it and uses it as a place to rest when he has to stay overnight at Silvermoon."

"And you would be correct with that." Said a voice.

On instinct, Elaria and I drew our bows and nocked arrows, facing it towards the area the voice came from. "Show yourself." Elaria demanded.

"Now now, don't shoot your employer." Out of the shadows walked a familiar face.

" _Ann'da!?_ " Exclaimed Thalina, slowly stepping back in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"Better yet, what are _you_ doing here my child? Since when do you accompany yourselves with assassins?" He walked closer towards us.

I signalled Elaria to lower her bow. "She doesn't." I walked closer towards him and lowered my hood and mask.

" _Athrodar?_ But... But you're dead?"

"Well, you're not completely wrong. The Athrodar you once knew is dead in a way, he's just a shadow of who I am now."

"And yet, she still manages to stay with you." He shook his head. "Does anyone else know?"

"No. And as far as I'm concerned it's best to keep it that way, no reason to explain this to those who won't understand."

"Your mother needs to know that you're alive. At least give her that."

I looked at him, studying his face carefully. He looked to be pleading at this request. "You can tell her what you wish I have no say in that, but be warned, you'll have to deal with how she reacts."

"You won't even go and see her, to show her yourself that you're alive!?" His tone changed dramatically from pleading to anger.

"Calm yourself Grand Magister, you may be Thal's father, but you're our employer first and the way we work with our employers is with equal ground. You would be wise to know this."

"Is that a threat?" He made his way towards me, making himself as big as possible.

" _Ann'da_ , don't." Thalina stood in between us, "You've employed them to do a job, let them do it. Nothing good will come from the two of you fighting."

He glared at me before looking down at Thalina, "Fine, but you're staying with us."

"What?"

"You heard me, you're coming home to live with me and your mother."

"No! I'm staying here with them. They've been nothing but kind to me since I found them."

I spoke up, "He's right."

"What!?" She cried, turning to face me. "Athrodar, baby please don't do this... I just found you, don't send me away."

"Athrodar... Y-you can't." Clara spoke up this time.

I looked at her then at Elaria, nodding to a different room whilst doing so. Shortly afterwards Elaria took her to the room next door, away from what was about to happen.

I looked back at Thalina. "I'm sorry, but this was one of the reasons why we came here."

"No..." She broke into tears and sunk to her knees. "Please... Don't leave me again..." She clung on to one of my legs, holding it tightly so I couldn't move.

"I'll give you two some time to talk this through." With that, Telramar turned towards the door and walked out the room, leaving us two alone.

"Thal, this is how it was meant to be." I got down to my knees, equalling her height.

"No... We were meant to grow old t-together, not to leave each others side." She leaned in towards me and rest her forehead on my chest. "None of this was meant to h-happen."

I put my hand under her chin and lifted her head. "Thal, listen to me."

She looked into my eyes. "I love you, okay? I'll always love you. You've made me remember that much about my past that I know it's real." I gave her a longing kiss.

She returned the kiss. "I love you Athrodar, more than anything. But you can't expect me to let you leave me here, I want to stay by your side for as long as there is life in me, that's my only wish."

She rest her forehead on mine "Please grant me this wish." She whispered to me.

The next couple of sentences I was about to utter were eating me inside. It was something I didn't want to say. "I'm sorry." I put both my hands on her face and kissed her deeply. "I can't grant you this wish."

She broke down after that, uncontrollable cries and screams coming from her. I pulled her in close and hugged her tightly, a couple of tears breaking through my emotional barrier I tried to build up.

We were both on our knees, tightly wrapped around each other for what must have been hours. I knew what I was about to do to her, so I tried to calm her down best I can and if that meant staying here until she did, I was going to.

After she calmed down enough to hear reason, I got her to stand up and lay on the bed with me, she looked exhausted after what we had just been through.

I lay there with her until she fell asleep in my arms, which didn't take long. I slowly pulled away from her and went to the room that housed Clara, Elaria and Telramar.

"She's sleeping right now. When she wakes up be prepared for what might happen, as we won't be here when she does."

"Thank you for bringing her home Athrodar. I will try my best to keep her calm when she does wake up. Where will you be staying?"

"That's none of your concern at this moment Grand Magister, we will get in contact with you once the job is done."

"Very well," He shook my hand. "Thank you again."

With that, we left to go to the place we'll be staying in for the mission. Once we arrived, the bombardment of verbal abuse that I was sure would come my way, hit me on entrance to the room.

Clara was first, "What _the fuck_ was that!?" She screamed at me, I could see a vein making its way out from her temple.

"Look I..." I tried to respond but I knew my excuses wouldn't win them over on my decision.

Elaria's turn, "Save it Athrodar. You just left a woman, who loves you ardently, behind in a house with a father who's only tie to her is that exactly, that he's her father."

"She's in good hands."

"Is she? From what she has told me about him, he doesn't come home as often as most fathers and he rarely saw her when she did live with her parents. How do you know that the second he leaves to go about his duties, that she won't come looking for you?"

"I don't."

"Exactly, you don't know. Frankly I'm not so sure you know yourself why you left her there."

"I know why I left her there, she'll be in danger if she stays with us. She's young and foolish, it was just mere luck that she found us to begin with."

"If anyone here is foolish, it's you." Clara spoke up again.

I turned to her. "How so?"

"She can handle herself, our trip here proved that, but that's not the real reason why you left her behind. Is it?"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the reason you left her behind isn't because she's young and foolish, or that she will get in the way. The reason you left her behind is because you love her and you don't want to see her hurt."

She was right, I did love Thalina and I didn't want her to get hurt. Is that so wrong?

"So what if that's my reasoning?"

"Then yes, you are the foolish one here."

"I don't have to explain myself to you." I moved away from the two of them and made my way to the room I was going to sleep in. As I sat on the bed, they followed me in and locked the door behind them.

"What are you doing?"

"Making you see reason." Elaria said.

"And how exactly are you going to do that?"

"We're not going to let you leave until you agree to go over to her and bring her back here."

"What of the mission Elaria? You're going to fail it because of a personal matter?"

"We won't fail the mission, because we're going to convince you to bring Thalina back to this house with you."

"And what? You'll torture me until I do? That's not a smart play and you know it."

I knew they wouldn't do that, but I had to make sure they knew they wouldn't torture me for something that was none of their concern. They couldn't do anything to me that would make me bring her back here and I think they knew that.

"No, that wouldn't. But we will keep you locked in here whilst we go about the mission. That much we can do."

"Clara's not an assassin, that wouldn't be wise."

"She's not, no. However she can keep you in here whilst I finish the mission."

"You're going to do it on your own?"

"Can't be that hard. The plan seems simple enough. Sneak in to his room whilst he sleeps, slit his throat and then slip back out without anyone knowing."

She made a good point, it was a pretty easy mission we were given. The whole plan for sneaking in, killing him and them sneaking out was one of the first missions we had to train for. So I had no doubt she could do it.

"Fine, just means I get time to rest. Have fun with the mission." I got up from the bed, moved to a nearby bookcase, took out a book and sat down in a chair.

Shortly after I sat down, Clara and Elaria left the room and made their way to their room, locking my door with a spell in the process.

The next week went by in the same way. I was being locked in my room whilst they went about the mission on their own. It felt like I was in a very friendly dungeon, only being given food and water to keep me alive whilst allowing me to read the books I had in the room.

"I could really get used to this." I told Clara as she came by to give me a plate with food.

She scoffed, "Enjoy it whilst it lasts, I won't be doing this again."

She walked out the room after handing me the plate, only to return with a worried looking Elaria.

"What is it?" I asked, looking at Elaria the whole time. The look on her face filled my stomach with despair.

"It's Thalina," She looked terrified when she said this, I knew it wasn't a trick to try and get me to bring her back. "She's missing."

I got up from the chair I was sitting in. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, she's not at her home with her parents. Telramar came to me whilst I was following the target, he told me she has been missing for four days now."

"Four days? Why didn't he come to you sooner?"

"He said he thought she was with us. She apparently left shortly after arriving home, presumably to find us, that's when I think she went missing."

"Is that all we know? She could be anywhere."

"Athrodar..."

"I know, you're going to tell me you told me so."

"No.. Well, yes.. But no, I was going to suggest that we keep her with us once we find her, so this doesn't happen again."

"That depends on the manner we find her in."

Clara gasped "You don't mean to suggest..."

"We won't know until we find her."

"Let's get going then." Said Elaria, handing me my daggers. "We'll need to split up to cover more ground."

I nodded, "You two search Silvermoon, I'll check the forests. Meet back here in five hours." I looked out the window only to see that it was night. "If we don't find anything, we'll check the Ghostlands. Let's hope she didn't go into there."

With that we left, splitting up and searching our allocated areas.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Search**

He left me again. I wanted to stay by his side, I told him it was my only wish to stay by his side and yet he left me again. Enough was enough, I am going to go find him and I will stay with him, even if he doesn't want me to. Elaria and Clara will talk sense into him I'm sure of it. They're probably doing so now.

On the third day of him leaving me again, I got out of bed after crying all I could before my tears were spent. I looked out the window and saw it was the middle of the night, perfect conditions for sneaking away from parents who want nothing more than to keep me here. I quickly got dressed into a pair of black leggings and a tunic, threw a cloak around me and pulled up the hood, finally putting on knee high boots and making my out the house as quietly as possible.

As I left the house, I slowly made my past the family stables and was almost given away by the sound of Ember, my Hawkstrider, making an excited sound at seeing me. It had been months since I last saw her.

"Shh girl, I need you to be quiet." I gently stroked her beak as she nuzzled my hand. "Mummy's got to go out for a bit, I'll be back for you soon." I handed her a couple apples that were nearby and made my way towards Silvermoon.

On instinct I went around checking the inns first, knowing that there was a chance they'd stay in one considering all the stops we had during the trip here were at inns. Whilst I was doing this, it gave me time to think on what Athrodar said to me the day he left me in that room with my father. He said that one of the reasons he came to Silvermoon was to hand me over to my father.

I also got to thinking about Clara's reaction on him agreeing with my father to leave me here. Clearly she was as surprised as I was, I looked over at her and saw Elaria not looking as shocked. Was she in on this?

I shook my head at the thought, making my way into the last inn in the city. To no avail, they weren't here either, so I decided to spend the night here until the morning. I couldn't sleep however, my mind was plagued with thoughts of the conversation we had; Me begging him to keep me at his side and him refusing my wishes, even as I broke down in his arms he didn't show any emotion as far as I know.

When I did eventually sleep, however brief, I woke up in the morning to the sound of someone opening the door to the bedroom I was staying in. Before I had a chance to react, I was hit over the head with the end of a staff and knocked unconscious.

I woke up a few hours later in a dark room. I was chained to a wall and on my knees, as I made to look at my surroundings, a pain shot through my head. It was only then had I realised I was growing a massive headache after taking a hit to the head like that.

"Hello?" I asked the room, hoping someone would respond.

"Ah, she's awake." Came a voice. "Get Master Darkrune."

I struggled for a few seconds, trying to get free from the chains, hoping that I could do such a thing. I stopped shortly after as the headache was getting worse and any movement would bring on more pain.

I heard footsteps coming down a flight of steps. I closed my eyes, trying to stop the headache from taking over, but before it could start to take effect, the footsteps stopped directly in front of me. I didn't open my eyes, but I knew the smell from anywhere.

Scourge.

"My my, looks like she is awake after all." I opened my eyes as the figure crouched down to level his height to mine. "Remember me my dear? I'm that necromancer who's life you were going to end. Ring any bells?"

I spat in his face. "How could I forget someone as ugly as you."

He wiped his face, "Now now..." He smacked my with the back of his hand. "That's no way to treat your host."

"How did you find me? Better yet, how did you get past all the guards?"

He laughed menacingly. "After my master destroyed your elf gates and the majority of your population, there isn't many left who can guard this land." He stood up and walked to a nearby table. "As for how I found you, your magic is very strong and unique. All I had to do was follow it."

I looked at what he was doing, only to notice he had brandished a knife from a sheath that was on the table he stood by. He turned to face me and slowly walked towards me. My eyes widened as he stood in front of me. "Now..." As he caressed my face, I flinched away. "I am going to have fun with you now, my little pet."

The knife was small and thin, but sharp nonetheless. He lightly stabbed it into my hand and slowly started to peel a bit of skin from my hand. I screamed in agony, how could something so small be so painful?

He seemed to delight in the sound I made, which made him carry on even more. Peeling a line of skin down each of my fingers on my hand, switching to the second one and doing the same thing. Before too long I blacked out from the pain, only to be woken up a few hours later when he had returned from wherever he had gone.

I was given very little amounts of food whilst I was being held here, with little water as well. From what I could tell, the water had a taste to it that would suggest it had gone bad. Considering who was keeping me here, I gathered the water was plagued.

The second day came around a lot slower than I thought possible. This was a different day and from what I could tell, would be a different method of torture. The knives were put away and instead a whip took their place. I feared this more and with good reason. The rope was frayed at the end to make five different ends.

Two of his minions came towards me and pulled me up, only to turn me around and have me face the wall, my back facing them. This is when the onslaught of whipping started. The pain was unbearable, I tried to keep my cries inside but I couldn't. Before too long I was screaming out for Athrodar, hoping that he would hear me, wherever I was.

I wasn't given anything to eat or drink on the second day. I didn't care, all I could feel was my back aflame with the whipping that just occurred. I felt blood dropping from wounds that were surely there, as well as what little of my tunic had remained intact.

On the third day, nothing happened. At least not for the first few hours. I heard talking in the room above me, I had established I was in a basement somewhere, although I had no idea where somewhere was. From what I could make out, they were talking about a floating fortress and the Scarlet Crusade.

A few hours after that conversation I heard plated footsteps and an otherworldly voice. The room I was in suddenly got cold, albeit I was the only one in here and there were no windows. I tried to hear what was being said upstairs, there were raised voices of an argument that was happening, followed by the plated footsteps leaving the house shortly after.

A minute or two later the necromancer came down the steps into the basement, I heard him mumbling to himself before throwing something across the room. I was watching him the best I could, still facing the wall, I saw his fists clenched up into a ball before he saw me looking at him. "Enjoying the show, little bird?" He made his way to the table that housed the tools of his torture.

I braced myself for the next wave of torture coming my way, sending a quick prayer to whatever beings could hear me, for them to save me from what was about to happen. It was over quickly, but not without the pain that came with it. He had jammed a knife through my hand, making the blade pierce all the way through before doing it again with the other hand.

The pain was fast, but numbed quickly. It was only then had I realised the knife was laced with some sort of poison that made me weak to feeling. Was this some sort of mercy play? Did he not want me to feel what was about to happen? Whatever he was doing to me, I knew it would hurt when the poison wore off, I only lay there, half on my knees and half on the floor taking the punishment without a struggle.

Much like the day before, nothing happened on the fourth, but this time nobody was here. Nobody came down to torture me some more, nobody came by to give me food or water. I cried for the first time in two days. Not from the pain that had hit me as the poison wore off, but of the knowledge that I may die down here, never to see Athrodar again.

The fifth day came, I knew my days were limited in this world. Whether I could manage another one or even two was anybody's guess. When I had finally given up all hope on making it through this, I heard a crashing of the door upstairs, followed by three voices screaming out my name.

They came. Elaria, Clara and Athrodar had found me. I tried to shout out thier names, but to no avail. My throat was dry and weak, I knew they couldn't hear me. I heard them talking amongst each other.

"She's not here Athrodar, we need to move on quickly."

"We're running out of time Elaria! She has to be out here somewhere!"

No.. Don't leave...

"She's right, if we are to find her, we need to move out now. I'm sorry, but looks like the tip was wrong."

I looked around me, trying to find something to make a noise.

"I'm going to kill that bastard for lying... Come on, let's move out."

I panicked, quickly rattling my chains and thrashing about, trying to make as much noise as possible. For such a weakened state, the horror of them not finding me and subsequently leaving me to die down here had filled me with a last shot of energy.

"Wait.. Did you hear that?"

"What?"

"Shh, listen."

I tried to call out as loud as I could. " _Help.._ "

"It's coming from the basement!"

"There's a basement?"

"Yes, Elaria help me find it, quickly!"

I heard ruffling of rugs and moving of desks and beds, shortly after I heard the latch to the basement open and three pairs of footsteps came running down.

Clara gasped and looked away, Elaria holding her. "Athrodar, she's not long for this world."

He ran to me and hugged me, hurting me in the process. "Baby, we're here. I won't leave you, just please don't die on me."

"Athro... Here.. Love..." I had no energy left to talk.

"Is she down there?" I heard my father. He was here with them.

"She's here Grand Magister!" Elaria cried out, voice full of emotion as if she was about to cry. "Get us out of here."

"Soon, we're a little preoccupied at the moment, our location has been given away."

"Can you stand?" Athrodar asked me. I shook my head the best I could. "We need to get you out of these chains. Clara a little help?"

She froze the chains as Athrodar slashed his sword at them, shattering them in the process and freeing me from the wall. "Elaria, Clara, go help the Grand Magister. I'll keep her with me until we're ready to move."

They nodded. "Also, send down Vilandil, I need him to try and heal his sister."

My brother is here? How did they find him? I hadn't seen him in years, I didn't think he would be in Silvermoon.

As they made their way up the steps, I tried to hug Athrodar but even the slightest bit of movement hurt. I tried to move through it and in doing so I screamed. "Shh, don't move baby." I saw tears running down his face. "I thought I had lost you forever... I'm not leaving you again. I promise."

Shortly after, Vilandil came down the stairs and knelt next to Athrodar. He placed his hands on me and the warmth of his healing had calmed me down a bit, but I knew I would need a lot more work done on me to be fully healed.

"Lucky you found her when you did, another day and she may not have survived." He stroked my hair with one hand whilst the other healed one of my hands he was holding. "My baby sister... How strong you've become." He kissed my forehead.

"Lieutenant we have our window, we need to make our exit now before more forces bear down upon us!" I heard the voice of Ranger-General Halduron Brightwing. Had they pulled out all the stops to rescue me?

"That's our cue to leave. I'm sorry about this Thal, but you're going to be in a lot of pain for a while whilst we move you. Scream if you must, but I'll try to make it as brief as possible." With that, he picked me up into his arms and carried me out the basement. I was screaming in pain the whole time.

"Athrodar..." I managed to say. He looked at me whilst everyone was getting ready to disembark from these lands. "I love you..."

"No no no.. Don't you die on me Thal! Stay with me!" He started shaking me, but I couldn't stop myself from falling into the world of darkness that was sleep.

After what seemed like mere seconds, I awoke in a familiar bed. It was my bed, but I wasn't alone. I craned my head up slowly and saw Athrodar sleeping next to me, his arm behind my neck and his other around my stomach. He looked like he fell asleep whilst watching over me.

I slowly moved my body to face him, which is when a sharp pain shot through my back. I gasped in pain which startled him, waking him up in the process. "You're awake..." He looked into my eyes and I looked back into his. Almost like it was rehearsed, our eyes were laced with tears as we both moved to hug each other. "I thought you were taken from me, after we arrived at the house and you weren't anywhere to be seen, I..."

I didn't say anything, I was too busy crying in his embrace. The man I loved had found me, again, and had saved me from certain death. I didn't have the words to thank him, or the energy to do anything to say thanks. All I wanted to do however was just lay there with him, making sure it wasn't all a trick and that he was actually here.

I was too taken away by him being here that I didn't realise Vilandil was sitting behind me, healing my back from the many wounds I had sustained in the basement. After a while, I moved one of my hands behind me and put it on his arm, he moved one of his hands from my back and placed it over my hand, reassuring me that he was here as well.

After a few minutes Vilandil had stopped healing me and got up from his chair. "I'll go tell them you're awake." He left the room shortly after, leaving me and Athrodar alone.

"Thank you... My love..." I strained to say, my throat was screaming in pain from just those words, clearly telling me that I was not ready to speak yet, but I didn't care. I needed to thank him.

He put a hand on my face and leaned his forehead against mine. "Thank you for hanging on as long as you did... I shouldn't have left you." He kissed me lightly on the lips.

Shortly after Elaria and Clara burst into the room, both had visibly began to cry with joy that I was alive. Without a second thought, they both ran to the bed and hugged me. I gasped with pain as they launched themselves on me. Feeling bad they went to get up but I shook my head and tried to drag them back in for a longer hug. "Thank... You..."

This brought on my tears this time. My friends had searched for me and came to my rescue. Just saying thank you didn't feel like enough, but it was all I had to offer. I wanted to do more for them, but I knew I needed to rest.

As I was hugging them, my mother and father entered the room, along with Athrodar's mother. My father had his arms around my mother as she was standing in front of him, tears in her eyes that I was okay. Illana was sitting next to her son, both hands on one of his. Vilandil made his way back to the chair behind me and continued to heal me.

I was overwhelmed at the family I had here, albeit not all of them related by blood, they were all apart of my family in one way or another. I didn't know what to say, these people came to rescue me from a place I thought I was going to die in. I couldn't say anything to them that I felt was satisfactory in return for what they had done. I just laid there and cried with joy that my family had saved me.

After everyone had come to make sure I was okay, they all left to return downstairs to have what I could smell was _Minn'da's_ cooking. Athrodar was still by my side as I began to smell the air around me.

He laughed lightly, "Do you want me to bring us up a plate? You must be starving." I managed a nod.

He left for a few minutes, only to return with a plate of food that I was sure I would devour before he even had a chance to take a bite. I was wrong however, seeing as I was in a weakened state, I could only manage a few bites of food. He sat there as I ate, watching my every move as if he was trying to take in as much detail of me as possible.

I noticed him doing this and I deliberately gave him an open mouthed smile whilst I still had food in it. He choked on the sip of water he took whilst I smiled at him. Swallowing the food I began to laugh, only to start a fit of coughing shortly after.

"Easy, you need to calm down." He stroked my back and got a nearby handkerchief and wiped my mouth of the blood that began to trickle down it. "You need to take it easy for a few days, until you're more healed at least. Vilandil has been healing you for three days now, we didn't know how much you would have improved from it since you were sleeping the whole time.

Three days? I was sleeping for three days!? They must have been worried sick that I wouldn't wake up. The look on my face must have given away what I was thinking as Athrodar pulled me closer to him and hugged me lightly. "You're awake now, that's all that matters."

I moved my arms up from my side to hold on to his tunic as tight as I could, wanting to stay in his arms for as long as possible. When I had calmed down from the initial shock of being asleep for three days, it dawned on me. What of their mission? I looked up at him with wide eyes and he looked down at me, seemingly knowing what I was thinking.

"Your father called off the hit. You were more important to us than some Magister who got jealous. Speaking of which, I've sent word to Lord Ravenholdt that I'm taking a long needed month off of killing people to stay here with you. Of course he doesn't know that last part."

He took a month off to stay here with me? Almost as if he was a ranger again, taking a month off to rest and replenish his unit with more rangers. Except he was an assassin, taking a month off to spend time with the woman I was sure he loved. Taking a month off to spend time with me.

With that, I rest me head against his chest and managed to say "Thank you."


	12. Chapter 12

**Road to Recovery**

A week had passed since we found Thalina chained up in an abandoned house in The Ghostlands, where I feared she would be. Whilst I was searching Eversong Woods, I had been told by a couple of rangers that they saw three men dragging an elf into The Ghostlands. When questioned why they didn't do something about it, they replied that the three men had disappeared into thin air.

I made my way to Sunfury Spire whilst Elaria and Clara made their way to Thalina's parents. We came up with a quick plan on searching the destroyed villages house to house. This was a long process to carry out, but we didn't have time to get a bigger force together to make an even broader search.

When we finally found her, the state she was in made me feel sick. She was malnourished and looked to be beaten half to death. I knew from looking at her that Elaria was right when she said she wasn't long for this world. The road to recovering her full health will take its toll on her.

After two days of bed rest, healing and getting food in her, Thalina wanted to move about more, she didn't want to stay in bed whilst others done stuff for her. She was always like this when we were younger, never wanting help from anyone when she believed she was capable of doing it on her own.

She started off by getting out of bed and trying to follow me around the house as I was doing every day activities. As much as I told her not to push herself too much in a short amount of time, she didn't listen. Several times she had fallen to the floor out of sheer exhaustion before I had to pick her up and bring her to the closest chair.

"Stop overworking yourself." I told her, placing a hand on her cheek. "You'll hurt yourself even more if you keep falling due to exhaustion."

She looked up at me and smiled. "Okay, I'll stop." I wasn't buying it, it was in her nature to not back down from a challenge. After all, she went missing due to her wanting to find us again. Something we could have avoided if I let her stay with us.

I bent down and kissed her briefly before carrying on with what I was doing. A few seconds after leaving her in the room on the chair I placed her in, I heard her get up and stumble her way to the door. She was looking around to see where I had gone.

I stuck my head out the room I was in. "What did I just say?"

She screamed as soon as I spoke, jumping out of her skin. Quickly followed by a brief coughing fit whilst she tried to hold herself up against the door frame.

"See, this is why I said you need to stop overworking yourself." I walked over to her and wiped her mouth with my cloak, clearing the trickle of blood that was there. "Now I'm going to take you back to your bed." She looked up at me to protest, I put my hand up to interrupt her. "I'm taking you back there so you can rest. I'll be up shortly after, I just need to finish these potions for Clara and Elaria."

With that I put an arm around her waist as she put one around my neck, slowly making our way to her room only to stop once or twice whilst she caught her breath. Upon arriving in her room, I made to help her into bed but she refused help, wanting to do it on her own.

"I'll be back shortly. Now rest." I kissed her on the forehead.

"Athrodar.." She said weakly.

I sat down next to her on the bed. "Yes?"

She sat up slowly, making her way towards me and leaning against my arm. "Hurry back... I don't want to be alone."

I put an arm around her. "I'll be quick, I promise." Kissing her on the head before getting up.

I left her room making my way to where I put the herbs and vials, noticing Elaria and Clara were in that room as well. They seemed to be in deep conversation with Vilandil who accompanied them. They stopped their conversation when they saw me.

"How's my sister?"

"Incorrigible." I laughed.

"What about physically?" asked Elaria.

"Doing as well as we could expect, although she's not making it easy for herself. She has been following me all day albeit slowly."

"Where is she now?"

"In her room, although I expect not for long. I promised her I'll be back quickly, so I'd expect that to be within five minutes in her mind."

"We can keep her company if you'd like? Clara and I haven't had much time with her since she woke up."

"Can you? Please? I need to get these potions done since we're staying here for about a month, don't want to run out now."

Vilandil spoke up. "Ah, the famous potion that makes you two Sin'dorei." Everyone we trusted knew they were Alliance in disguise. The number of people who knew were only close family, so parents and siblings.

"Exactly that. You can help me make them if you'd like?"

"Sure, it will give us time to catch up on five years."

I hadn't told him I barely remember him, or what had happened to me. I hadn't even told the woman I'm told to be my mother. I've been keeping up an act that made it look like I knew them for the sake of staying with Thalina. I don't know how they'd react if they found out I didn't know them.

The flashbacks that I was getting with Thalina have all but faded when I look at her, but whilst I'm around all these people from my past, it's hard to keep up the act that I knew them. I wasn't getting them regularly but the headaches I got with them were enough to make it look like something was troubling me.

Elaria and Clara made their way to Thalina's room whilst I stayed here with Vilandil. "So, what brought you to Silvermoon in the first place?" He asked.

"Well, considering my job as an assassin, I thought that would be obvious." I glanced over at him then back to the potion I was working on. "So, the Argent Crusade huh? What's that like." Anything to get him off the topic of my life.

He spoke about the Argent Crusade for the duration of our activity. This kept any questions he had about me to a minimum, whilst reducing any likelihood of a conversation down memory lane that I was sure I'd not remember.

Once we were done, I sealed the potions and placed them all together in a bag that I left with all the other supplies we brought along with us. Making my way back to Thalina's room, I saw all three of them sleeping on the bed. Thalina in the middle with Elaria on her right, holding on to one of Thalina's arms whilst she slept and Clara on her left, resting her head on Thalina's shoulder.

I shook my head and laughed lightly, making my way to the chair that was beside the bed. Sitting down, I watched them sleep for a few minutes before taking my quiver and looking through the arrows I had in there, sorting out the good, usable and the useless.

As I finished sorting out my arrows, I placed the good and usable ones back into the quiver, looking up I saw Thalina was still sleeping. I got up and made my way to the edge of the bed, gently shaking Elaria awake.

She groaned at first not wanting to wake up, I shook her harder which seemed to get her to sit up. She yawned and stretched, looking up at me and seemingly annoyed that I woke her. "What?" She glared at me.

"Get up or move over."

"Why?"

"I told her I was coming back as soon as possible, I want to be next to her when she wakes up. Now move."

She groaned, "Fine, but I'm going back to sleep at the bottom of the bed."

As I sat down next to Thalina, Elaria done just that. She curled up at the end of the bed and went back to sleep. I don't know how she could do that, sleeping almost as if it was by command, not that I'd ask her anyway.

A few hours crept by with us four all in this bed, three of them sleeping. During that time Clara had moved off of Thalina, giving me an opportunity to move her slightly so she was resting on me. As I moved her, she woke up for a few seconds and positioned herself so she was sitting up, leaning against me I put an arm around her before she fell back to sleep.

Elaria was still sleeping at the end of the bed, curled up at their feet like a cat. I was still sitting next to a sleeping Thalina, her resting on me whilst I was looking out the window in deep thought.

Looking at the sea of red and yellow trees, I was calmed in knowing where we were was safer than in Silvermoon, which was a strange thought considering it's a city and this is just a small village on the outskirts of said city. No, I knew it was safer due to all the people here I could rely on in ensuring her safety whilst she rest.

Whilst I was lost in thought Thalina had woken up. "What are you thinking about?" She asked me.

I kissed her cheek, "Nothing in particular, how are you feeling?"

She moved to sit on my lap and face me, "Better than before." Kissing me, she looked me in the eyes with a familiar look to her face.

"Whatever you're thinking, you seem to forget we're not alone."

She looked around and saw both Clara and Elaria still sleeping on the bed. "They look so peaceful, I don't want to interrupt that. Shame, I was looking forward to some alone time."

I chuckled. "I wouldn't accept even if they weren't here."

She looked back at me, her eyes wide. "Why not?"

"Because you're still too weak to do anything and you're in pain."

She shook her head. "I'm not, I'm perfectly fine." She kissed me again.

I lightly touched a part of her back that I knew wasn't fully healed yet, she gasped a little in pain. "And that was just a small touch, imagine if we did what you wanted."

She leaned in to me, mouth to my ear. "I don't care," She whispered to me. "Maybe I like a little pain." I laughed.

"What? I'm serious!"

I shook my head. "I'm sure you are, but the look Elaria is giving me right now... She looks horrified."

Thalina pulled back, "She's awake?"

"I am and I don't want to be here if you keep this up." She said, getting up from the bed and walking over to stand in Thalina's line of site. "You really need to check your surroundings before you say things like that."

Before Thalina could defend herself, Clara spoke up. "She's right you know."

I raised both eyebrows. "Looks like both of them heard our little discussion."

She pulled herself towards me, burying her head in my shoulder. "Looks like it." She laughed.

"I think we best leave, before they actually start doing something." Said Elaria.

She walked over to the other side of the bed and knelt down in front of Clara. "Come on, let's go." Clara was reluctant at first, wanting to sleep in some more, but then got out of bed and left the room.

I watched as they left the room, closing the door behind them. "Our families don't know I don't remember them," I told her once we were alone. "Except your father of course."

She sighed. "You don't want them to know, do you?"

"I'd prefer it if they didn't, makes it easier on them if it's kept secret. Although I don't know how long I can keep up the act of knowing them."

She looked up at me. "The headaches?"

"Getting worse. More people from my past are here than when it was just you, they're becoming more frequent as well."

I looked her in the eyes and saw she was pained to hear that I was in pain. "I'm sorry you have to go through this, you shouldn't have to stay here because of me." She said.

I shook my head. "Being here with you is getting me through this," I kissed her. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." She began to tear up at what I said. "Oh no, don't you start crying."

She laughed and hugged me tightly. "I love you, my heart."

I hugged her back, not as tight due to her injuries. "I love you too, my sun rose."

Another week passed by. Thalina was doing much better compared to the week before, she was walking about the house more, not getting as tired as she did. Whilst she wasn't in bed as often now, she kept trying to bring me back to it, so we could make love. I've been refusing her for the past couple of days, knowing she was still too weak for it, which has brought on a resurgence in her to keep trying to convince me to make love to her.

Her wanting me that badly got to the point that she lay naked in our bed one night, pleasuring herself and waiting for me to walk in to the room so I would have no other choice. At least that's what I have been told. What actually happened was her doing exactly that, but Clara walked in on her instead. To say she was shocked by what she saw was an understatement. I sent Clara up to our room as she wanted to check on Thalina, who wasn't downstairs with the rest of us.

I was laughing so hard I had tears running down my face and had a terrible stitch coming on. "I'm so sorry Clara, I didn't know she would do that."

Clara was embarrassed, her cheeks were bright red and she couldn't look at me. "I... I just wanted to check on her..." When I went to put a hand on her shoulder, she backed away. Even as Elaria came towards her she backed away some more, clearly traumatised at what she saw.

I was still laughing when Thalina came running down the stairs, dressed in whatever she could find. "I'm soooo sorry you had to see that Clara..." She glared at me. "I thought you were Athrodar."

"Great, you broke Clara." Elaria said, walking to Clara and hugging her before she could back away more. "Even I haven't done that to her, you two should be ashamed."

I made my way towards Thalina, "I told you no." I kissed her forehead. "Stop trying to push this."

"But I want to say thank you for saving me." she came closer to me. "Plus I'm hungry for you." She whispered, winking at me.

I looked around and saw Elaria and Clara had left. I looked back at Thalina, seeing she had my hand and was placing it on her breast. "Come on, you know you want me as well." Her voice was low.

I can't deny that, I have wanted her for the past week but I knew she wasn't fit enough for anything she had in mind. "You're lucky this is a big place, imagine if your parents saw you like this." Probably not the best thing to say.

"Oh, that just makes it even hotter. The possibility of us getting caught making love by my parents." She bit her lip. "Making out, doing so many wrong things in front of innocent people..." She closed her eyes and stood closer to me. "Just the idea of us doing something so wrong makes it so right." She kissed me longingly.

I caved, kissing her and picking her up, she wrapped her legs around my waist and carried on kissing me. As we made our way to the bed, I dropped her on the bed and we quickly got undressed. As I made my way back to her, she didn't waste anytime on getting me where she wanted me. We went at it for hours, starting off slow until I was sure she wouldn't hurt herself in the state she was in, then our love making was hard and vigorous.

We had wanted each other for the past week, her more so than me. Our hunger for each other was sated, but only for so long until we made love again and again. She was fitter than I gave her credit for, not getting exhausted as fast as I thought she would, even then she would fight through it and carry on.

As we lay there exhausted she moved to lay on top of me, kissing me before laying her head on my chest and drifting off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**The New Assignment**

A month had passed since she started the recovery process. Thalina has come a long way since we found her chained up in a house in The Ghostlands, she's as strong as she was before it all, if not stronger.

I have been training her to fight with a sword ever since she asked me a week ago. "I don't want to be in a situation where my magic is tapped out and I can't defend myself," She said. "Seeing as you're one of the best swordsmen I know, I want you to train me."

I don't know whether it was my accepting of her request or the speed in which I replied, but I agreed to teach her to fight with a sword. "Really!?" Her face lit up with happiness.

I nodded. "Sure, it seems like a good idea. Although, I won't be going easy on you."

She shook her head. "I wouldn't expect you to." She looked at me for a few seconds before jumping at me, wrapping her arms around me. "Thank you, my heart."

We had been sparring for the final week with wooden swords that I had crafted the day after she asked. I told her I wasn't going easy on her, but after the first two days I toned the training down a bit. Of course she wouldn't know this, as far as she knew I was training her like I would any other person.

We were halfway through practice one day when Elaria came up to me with a letter. "What's it about?" I asked her.

"I don't know, It was addressed to you." She replied. Handing me the letter, she sat down beside Thalina as I opened the letter and read the contents.

 _Nightblade,_

 _Your time off has come to an end, we of the Assassin's League are expecting you to report in to Ravenholdt Manor on the light of the third day._

 _Shadowbow has been called back too. Bring her with you, as on your return you will be given an assignment to get you back to work._

 _More information will be given to you on your arrival._

 _Webb._

So we are called back to Ravenholdt Manor for our next assignment. I knew this day was coming soon yet a part of me didn't want it to come at all. I looked up from the letter and caught Elaria's eyes with mine. "How came you by this?"

"A runner from Silvermoon came to find me, She was dressed in black leather with a hood and cloak." She stood up and made her way to me. "Are the contents of that letter what I presume they are? Are we being called back?"

I gave her the letter so she could read it herself. Thalina walked over to us. "It is, isn't it? You two are being called back for your next assignment, aren't you?"

"It appears that we are." Elaria said, handing me back the letter. I gave the letter to Thalina so she could read over the contents of the letter. "We best get ready to leave. Where are we leaving Clara and her?" She asked.

That's a question I didn't have an answer to. "We'll have to find a place for them nearby, secluded and out of the way just until we get the assignment." Thalina handed me back the letter and gave me a look of worry. "Don't worry, my sun rose, I'm not leaving you behind." I offered her my hand and she took it, pulling her in for a long hug. "Never again."

We made our way back to the house we were staying in for the past month, Thalina and I were beginning to pack our bags and gather supplies for the trip to Ravenholdt Manor whereas Elaria was informing Clara on what we're doing and where we're heading.

As we were packing our bags, Thalina's father walked in on us. "So, you've been called back." He said. Thalina looked up at her father before walking over to him and hugging him tightly. "When do you think you will be back?" He asked her.

"I don't know ann'da. Maybe when we're next in Quel'Thalas, I'll be sure to visit then."

 _That could be years_ I thought. We could never choose an assignment, only given one by our superiors that we had to go through with. The assignment we're going to be given back at Ravenholdt Manor can't be turned down like our last assignment. We hadn't gone through with the last mission due to Thalina going missing, although we all agreed she was more important.

Grand Magister Telramar made his way towards me before shaking my hand. "You look after my daughter. I can see you both care for each other very much, keep her safe."

I nodded to him, "Don't worry Grand Magister, I'll keep her safe to the best of my ability."

He moved his hand away and bowed to me, walking out the room shortly after. We continued packing our bags and gathering up supplies for the trip to Ravenholdt Manor. Elaria and Clara joined us shortly after, packing their bags for the trip.

The beginning of the next day was something I wanted to avoid. As we were about to leave, Illana ran over to me and gave me a long hug before crying. "Stay safe son, try and come back to me when you can."

I picked her up, hugging her tightly. "I'll try, be well mother. If I can't keep myself safe, then they will." I kissed her cheek before letting go of her, making my way to everyone else who was waiting for me down the road.

As I joined up with Elaria, Clara and Thalina, Thalina began to speak. "You still don't remember her, do you?"

I shook my head. "I don't, no."

She sighed. "Poor Illana, it pains me to know that her love for you is only going one way."

Our journey to Ravenholdt Manor wasn't eventful in the same way as the trip to Silvermoon was. We trekked for hours per day, only stopping to eat and go about our personal duties. I would train Thalina's swordplay during these breaks, she was improving faster than I thought she would, but would still need a lot more practice before she could hold her own in an actual fight.

We arrived at Ravenholdt Manor on the third day, leaving Clara and Thalina in a nearby house that was located in a secluded part of Hillsbrad. As we made our way to Lord Ravenholdt, we walked past a group of over confident looking recruits, One from each race belonging to the Alliance and Horde.

Elaria scoffed as we strode past them. "They have no idea what they're about to do."

I chuckled, "I bet three of them pass all the tests."

"Optimistic, I'd say two of them do."

"Sounds like we've got a competition going on." Lord Ravenholdt said to us as we made our way to his office. "I'd like to take part in this, I say four will make it through. Equalling your groups performance."

I raised an eyebrow, not expecting him to want to participate in our competition. "Bets?"

"The winner gets all the money from your next assignment, doubled."

I looked at Elaria and she looked at me, smirking. I looked back at Lord Ravenholdt and extended out my hand. "You've got a deal." Elaria doing the same.

"Now, about your next assignment," We sat down on chairs opposite him as he gave us our next assignment and all the details about the location and what little information we had on the target itself, not that it would change their fate. As we began to leave he called me back to stay in his office, telling me he had something private to tell me.

As Elaria left the room, he began to speak. "Who are they to you?"

I tilted my head, not understanding his question. "Sir?"

"The Elf and the Human, who are they to you and Elaria?"

 _Shit._ I wasn't expecting him to know about them, yet he did. I couldn't lie to him, if he found out I was lying to him, there was a high chance I'd be the next assignment for an overconfident recruit. "The Human is a mage we hired off of Ted Johnson... After some persuading."

"And the Elf?"

"She's someone from my past. She was with 'The Hawk' when we found her, seemingly trying to find me."

He laughed. "The Hawk? Ted is really going with that alias?" He shook his head. "Why is she still with you then? Surely you could slip away whilst she was sleeping and be rid of her. Unless..?"

I looked away briefly which was all he needed to know there was more behind her just wanting to find me than I was telling him. "She.."

"She got under you skin. You've remembered a part of your past and her involvement in it." He sighed. "I'm guessing you don't want that part erased again, since you've stayed with her for a month."

I shook my head. "No Sir, I care for this woman as she does for me. I know it's not in our rules however that we can't have a life outside of being an assassin."

"No, you are correct in that. But if she comes between you and your work, that's when it becomes a problem." He stood up. "Don't make it a problem Nightblade you're the best we've got, don't make me have to make a call I don't want to make."

"I'll make sure to keep both parts separate." I stood up from my chair. "Will that be all Sir?"

"I believe so. You two can return to your travelling companions." Sitting down, he looked down at a letter on his desk. "Dismissed."

I bowed before him, turning and leaving his office shortly after. Meeting up with Elaria who was getting her blades sharpened and restocking on arrows. "What did he want?" She asked me.

"He knows about them, I don't know how but he does."

"Will it be a problem?" She looked concerned.

"I shouldn't think so, as long as they don't get in the way of our assignments, he's fine with them travelling with us." I placed a hand on her shoulder. "As long as they don't get in our way." I repeated.

She nodded. "Good, I believe they won't, they know what we do."

With that, I placed my weapons down on a table, near the on hand blacksmith we had, waiting for them to be sharpened whilst I looked through the arrows in my quiver, discarding the majority of them and refilling my quiver with new arrows.

After our blades were as good as new, we gathered supplies and made our way back to the house we had left Clara and Thalina in, both of them sitting on the floor, leaning up against a wall. On closer inspection I saw they were both sleeping, leaning on each other to keep themselves up.

Elaria and I moved into a different room so we wouldn't wake them. Elaria turned to me and said: "When are we leaving? I want to get on the road as soon as possible."

"We'll move out as early as tomorrow, let them rest for the night before we do." I sat down on a chair and unsheathed one of my daggers, fingering the tip. "By the way, you don't have to disguise yourself as a Blood Elf any more."

"Shame, I was beginning to enjoy it."

"Really? What's the difference?"

"You guys feel lighter. Though I didn't like how small I felt compared to how tall I really am." She began to stretch, "Plus, your women are a lot skinnier than I thought they were. Although, I felt a lot more graceful in my movements."

I looked at her with an odd expression on my face. "And here I was thinking we had the same advantages and disadvantages. Being Elves, I thought we both would be gracious in our movements, I didn't think we would be _more_ graceful."

"Either way, I envy how light your race is, though I feel more in touch with nature in my old body. Plus I can see better at night." She moved to a nearby bed, laying down and resting her eyes. "Yup, It's good to be myself sometimes."

She quickly fell into the dark embrace of sleep shortly after whilst I was sorting out the trip for the next day, retiring to a different bed after I had planned out a rough route. I was asleep for a few hours before I felt someone climb into the bed with me, I didn't have to check as I felt her press herself against me before whispering her love to me. "I love you." I replied back, turning to face her and wrapping my arms around her as she began to fall back to sleep.

I awoke the next day to find Thalina already awake, watching over me like she was a mother bird guarding her young. She saw I was awake and smiled at me. "Morning sleepy head."

I sat up and stretched. "Morning." I glanced over at her. "We need to get ready to leave soon."

The look on her face was neutral, whether she was surprised or not we would be leaving so shortly after arriving here, she didn't show. "Where are we heading?" She asked.

I handed her the missive we received from Lord Ravenholdt as he told us about the assignment. Watching her as she read over it, I saw her expression change from intrigue to worry. "What is it?" I asked her.

She looked up at me and I saw horror in her eyes, "Th...The target..." She was physically shaking as she dropped the letter on the bed, staring past my head in to the distance.

I moved closer to her, placing both my hands on her arms. "What is it? Do you know the target?"

She focused on me, her eyes beginning to water. "Athrodar... It's the necromancer... The one who took me.." She didn't say any more, too paralysed by fear to move as well.

I pulled her close to me and began to rub her back. She began to cry out of fear and the memories of what she had gone through. "Shh, baby it's okay. We'll make him pay for what he done to you. This I promise." I had meant it. This was a mission I was sure I would not fail, even if it took me to the ends of the earth.

I held her for a few minutes until she had calmed down, then we began to get ready to depart for the Eastern Plaguelands, where our mission was sending us. I informed Clara and Elaria on who our target was, which had ignited a fury in Elaria I hadn't seen before. She was out for blood and I wasn't going to get in her way once she was released.

We made our way through to Arathi Highlands then up to the Hinterlands and further north until we hit The Western Plaguelands on the outskirts of Caer Darrow. From there we travelled along the river bank until we crossed over into the Eastern Plaguelands.

As we crossed over into the Eastern Plaguelands I saw Thalina tense up, just like she did when we first entered this place over a month ago. I placed both my hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry, we're here with you, nothing will happen."

She didn't turn around to face me, instead she carried on walking albeit less tense than she was. Nodding her head, "Thank you. I forget that you'll protect me when we're in this place.

I chuckled, "That's the one thing we're good at my love, Elaria and I are hired for killing. Anything that would be stupid enough to attack us willingly will meet a short end indeed."

She slowed her pace until she was walking side by side with me, "That's not the only thing you're good at." She whispered to me, winking and smirking as well.

"Don't you two start anything back there, this isn't the time for such things." Elaria shouted back at us amusingly.

"Why are you eavesdropping on such a conversation anyway?" I shouted back at her. "Are you so interested on our private life that you want to know more?"

She laughed loudly. "Ha, your private life hasn't been private for five years! Less so with her in it now, we hear many a thing from the pair of you that should be kept private, both in and out of the bedroom."

Thalina gasped. Looking up at me she asked: "We're not _that_ loud, are we?"

I glanced down at her then looked back at the road, smiling the whole time. "Well, maybe I'm not."

She playfully smacked me on the arm. "That's not fair!" She folded her arms, dropping her bottom lip and facing away from me. "You make those noises come out of me... That's not a crime..." She said in a hushed tone.

I put an arm around her, pulling her in close. "I didn't say I didn't enjoy those noises." I kissed her forehead. "She's just jealous nobody can make those noises come out of her."

"I heard that." Elaria said.

"Good, you were supposed to hear it." I said back to her.

Thalina tugged on my arm to get my attention, I looked down at her curiously. "Where are we heading anyway?" She asked.

"Light's Hope Chapel, they've agreed to refuge us there so we can get the assignment done, courtesy of your brother." I had asked her brother whilst we were at Silvermoon if we could stay at Light's Hope Chapel if we ever had a mission near by, he replied with a simple nod and a smile.

Our journey to Light's Hope was a quiet one. We didn't run into any danger thus far on our travels and still hadn't as we made it halfway through the Plaguelands. From this I knew something was wrong. We were in the heart of Scourge lands in the Eastern Kingdoms, yet we weren't under attack from anywhere.

I was on alert as we entered The Plaguelands, only to be put on further alert when it had dawned on me that things were too easy. What wildlife we could normally see on the entrance to The Eastern Plaguelands had all but gone, nothing was nearby. I whistled to get everyone's attention, as soon as they turned around I heard a twig snap.

I drew my bow, Elaria doing the same, nocking an arrow at the direction of the sound. Clara and Thalina conjuring flames on their hands, ready to incinerate anything that came out to attack us.

The attack was instant, at first a couple of ghouls came out with skeletal warriors backing them up. Thalina and Clara attacked them first, dwindling their numbers almost instantly. The smell of burning rotten flesh hit me before they had even gotten close to us. Elaria and I let loose a couple of arrows into what little force remained.

"Scouts!" I warned them. "The rest of their force must be near, we need to move now!"

We made for Light's Hope Chapel after that, Clara burning the corpses before we left. We ran for a couple of minutes before the whistling of arrows flew past us. At first it was just a couple of them, but then the floor was beginning to line with arrows. We made to hide behind trees so we wouldn't get hit by any of the missiles coming our way.

That's when the distinctive sound of bones rattling against armour came our way from the front. Before too long, I made out a long line of heavily armoured skeletal warriors creating a makeshift shield wall. Without needing to be asked, Thalina and Clara were hurling balls of fire at their ranks, incinerating the undead it hit but to no avail, their lines were a lot thicker than we had first thought.

Elaria and I were firing volley after volley of arrows back at the incoming missiles from behind, hearing the screeching of undead minions as our arrows hit their targets. The shield wall came to a stop fifty yards in front of us, followed by a hollowed laugh that rang around the small part of the plagued forest we were in.

"Did you really think I would forget about you four? Hmm? How convenient that your next assignment was to kill me." Came a voice similar to the necromancer we faced over a month ago.

I looked over at Elaria seeing she had a cut on her cheek where an arrow got close to her. She wiped the blood away and looked back at me. The look in her eyes were of determination. Determination that she will go down fighting, I got the same look from Clara as I looked over at her. Finally, I looked over to Thalina who also looking back at me, fear in her eyes. I had promised to keep her safe, something that was becoming even more difficult by the second.

We walked right into a trap, we were surrounded.


	14. Chapter 14

**An Unavoidable Fate**

We were surrounded, everywhere I looked there were undead closing in on us. Athrodar and Elaria were letting loose arrow after arrow at the scourge archers coming in from our south whilst Clara and I were hurling balls of fire at the ranks of undead approaching us from the north.

"We're about to be overrun by them!" Elaria cried, spending her last arrow.

We were going to die out here, surrounded by the scourge. Who knows what they will do with us after they got their hands on us, I couldn't even begin to imagine all the things they could do. "We need a plan, now!" I yelled.

"Right," Athrodar nodded. "Thalina, you and Clara create a wall of fire blocking off their advance from the north, we'll make to move past their archers from the south."

With that, Clara and I began to create a wall of fire, blocking off the advancing Scourge from our north. We began to charge at what archers remained behind us, Elaria and Athrodar going into melee combat whilst Clara and I covered their charge with more spells. That's when an evil cackle passed over us, carried by a spell to increase its volume.

"Do you really think a little wall of fire will stop the never ending army of the Scourge!?" The Necromancer shouted. "No, that just won't do. Soon you'll join this army as powerful minions, serving under the Lich King!"

As we were fighting what little remained of the Scourge archers, the army behind us made it through the wall of fire and were closing in on us quicker than we could dispatch the small force we were fighting.

"They've made it through the fire!" I cried. "They'll be upon as at any second!" I began to make a second wall of fire which is when the first group of them made it to us. Without much time to react, I drew my sword, enchanted with a fire spell.

"Clara," Athrodar shouted for her. "Help Thalina with that group and try to create a portal out of here once you're done!"

Clara came to my side, incinerating the group I had engage in melee combat. Once we dispatched of them, we began to work on a portal to Silvermoon. "Protect us whilst we work on it!" I commanded. "We only get one shot at this, if we get interrupted we've lost our only chance at escape!"

Elaria and Athrodar converged on us, both protecting us to the best of their abilities. Waves upon waves of Scourge were closing in around us now, first coming in one at a time, then two. Now they were on us in waves of at least five, if not more. "Give up little mage, you won't escape from the cold grip of death!" The Necromancer cackled, sending a shadowy bolt of magic towards us. "Surrender now and I promise your death will be quick."

The portal was almost complete but their push was relentless, Athrodar sporting many cuts to his face and arms whereas Elaria had a wound on her abdomen whilst having an arrow stick out of her shoulder, yet they carried on fighting as if it were nothing. That's when a new screech had joined the already musical sound of fighting.

" _Nerubians_." Hissed Athrodar. "Where is that portal!? We need it open now or we've lost!"

The Nerubians were giant undead spiders in the Eastern Plaguelands, serving Kel'Thuzad in the floating fortress that is Naxxramas. They skittered their way towards us from all possible angles, their mandibles dripping with venom, launching their attacks at us before we were prepared to face such a foe.

"Their spellweavers are countering our portal!" I cried, turning to Elaria. "Take them out now so we can get this portal up."

Elaria yanked the arrow from her shoulder and darted through the Scourge that were closing in on us, that's when I saw something that made me feel sick to the stomach. An arrow, seemingly out of nowhere, flew past every member of the Scourge and hit Athrodar in the chest. "No!" I screamed. Something inside me snapped and for the next few seconds waves of fire flew out from my arms and hit everything around me, causing all the scourge in a twenty yard radius to burst into flames.

He fell to one knee, sword, whilst still in his hand, had dropped to his side. As I began to run to him, I saw Elaria had taken out the Nerubian Spellweavers that were tapping our magic, in the corner of my eye I saw the portal had opened up behind me. Looking back over to Athrodar I saw him still on one knee, parrying blow after blow from the innumerable amounts of Scourge that had convened at his location.

"Help him!" I shouted, throwing flickers of fire at the group around him, my energy was almost spent. "Now Elaria!"

She made for him but saw it was too late. I dropped to my knees and let out a deafening scream, making the Scourge around us flinch and turn around to face me. Elaria made her way to me and began to drag me away from him. "Thalina, we need to leave!" She snapped. "The portal won't stay open forever, let's go!"

I tried to struggle from her grip but before I knew it I had arrived in Silvermoon City, portal closing as soon as we entered the room. "NO!" I screamed once again, breaking free from Elaria's grip, I went to make a portal back to the Eastern Plaguelands. I didn't know where I would land, anywhere for all I cared, I just needed to get back to him.

Royal Guards came bursting into the room, encircling and pointing their spears at us. "Stay where you are!" One of them shouted. It was at this moment that I remembered I made the portals location to Sunfury Spire.

"Get Grand Magister Telramar Dawnstrider." Elaria said to them calmly. "This is his daughter," She pointed at me. "We will explain to him why we're here."

The guards all looked to one person who I figured was their captain. Seconds later he nodded and sent two of his men to get my father whilst the rest of them kept their weapons drawn at us. A couple minutes passed by until my father had burst into the room, voice booming. "What is the meaning of this!" He shouted. "Why have I got two guards telling me that my daughter has arrived in Sunfury Spire with two members of the Alliance!" He pushed a couple of guards out the way and looked at us, eyes that were full of anger quickly turned to that of joy then of sorrow as he read my face.

I fell to the floor as he knelt down in front of me, holding me in his arms. "What has happened my child." He said smoothly. "What has become of Athrodar?" I began to cry in his arms, what has become of Athrodar indeed...

 **Meanwhile in The Eastern Plaguelands**

Surrounded by Scourge, an arrow in the chest and several cuts to my body, the strength in my arm was waning at the constant parrying and cutting down of enemies that pressed their attacks. A sudden sharp pain in my leg. I checked the area and saw a spearhead sticking out the front of my leg, unsheathing a dagger from my back with my free hand, I sliced at the undead minion holding the spear, amputating its hands.

I dropped my dagger and fell to my hands on knees, coughing up blood. I looked up at the vast array of Scourge around me, waiting for the death blow that did not come, instead they all moved out the way for a robed figure.

"Well, well, well. Looks like your friends have abandoned you to your fate." He laughed manically, placing a hand on my shoulder. "This will only hurt for a second." Suddenly a sharp pain shot through me, turning my world black. I collapsed to the floor.

I awoke sometime later, whether that was minutes, hours or days later, I couldn't be sure. What I was sure about however is that I was still alive, albeit not for long judging by what I could see around me.

Several members of the Scourge were wondering around aimlessly, piles of bodies were in one corner of the room with a group of necromancers standing by them, raising the bodies into undead minions to serve the Scourge. Blood stained the walls and floor all around this place, wherever it was, whilst plated figures trained against dummies and each other.

A snap of cold air raced through and around me as I stood up in a cage made of bones. I looked for the source of that gust, seeing two flights of stairs leading up to a balcony, either side of a portal, and a heavily armoured figure standing on said balcony.

As I moved to the edge of my cage I heard a loud knocking on the bars behind me, turning to face what was making the knocking sound on the bars, I was met with a sight I wouldn't think was possible. A human stood there, yet he looked dead. Unlike those of the forsaken, his body was intact and I could have been fooled to think he was alive, yet he looked dead.

"You're awake then." His voice was hoarse yet otherworldly. "Good, then I'll make this quick. We needed you alive for what's about to happen."

Before I could try to comprehend what he said, I felt a sharp yet wide object pierce my abdomen. At first the feeling of this object was like a sword, covered in spikes, had been stabbed through me. Seconds later I felt cold, even as blood poured out from the wound I still felt cold. I looked up at the human, noticing he was in fact holding a large sword, except this sword had what looked like magical runes etched onto it.

I didn't look at the blade for long as I fell to the floor, hard. Laying in a pool of my own blood, knowing I was going to die, all I could think about was how I wouldn't ever see Thalina again. Her chestnut red hair done up into a ponytail, her infectious smile, the feel of her skin against mine, the way she smelt. I tried to remember the sound of her voice but found I couldn't. The last few seconds of my life had been of total darkness.

 **Back in Silvermoon City**

"We have to send out a search party!" My voice was loud as I yelled at my father. "He could still be out there on his own, dying."

It had been half an hour since we arrived in Silvermoon, we were in his chambers along with Ranger-General Halduron Brightwing. "We can't just send out a force of rangers to search for one elf," The General said. "For all we know, he may be dead already."

I glared at the General and before I knew it, Elaria was holding me back. Apparently my hand was covered in fire, making it look like I was about to burn the General for such an insult. "That _elf_ as you so kindly put it, was the best ranger you had before you sent him off on a mission you knew nothing about!"

He sat down in a chair that encircled the only table in the room. "I mean no offence, but you need to see this from a political and military stand point. We can't send forces into a heavily Scourge infested area for one elf. An elf that has been dead to the public for the past five years." He sighed. "I'm sorry Thalina, I truly am, but I can't send anyone out that far to search for him."

I grew furious. "Fine!" I snapped. "Then I'll just have to go out and search for him myself if you refuse to help me." I spun on my heel and made for the door.

"Thalina wait." My father called for me, I was already out the door.

Elaria and Clara had left shortly after I did, following close behind me. "Whatever you're planning Thal." Elaria started. "It won't work, you need to rest. You've spent most of your magic on creating that portal and defending us whilst we were fighting, you'll -." I stopped walking, holding my head as I began to feel dizzy all of a sudden.

I began to fall backwards which is when Elaria had caught me. "See, you need to rest."

"No..." I said weakly, the adrenaline that was coursing through me seemingly had ran its course as we left Sunfury spire. "We need to find him..."

"Thal.." Clara's voice was low. "I'm so sorry... But he was surrounded by hundreds of Scourge as we entered the portal, there was no way he would survive such an onslaught." She seemed certain at this.

I wanted to cry but found I couldn't. I wanted to speak but found I couldn't. I wanted to move my head, arms, legs but found I couldn't. He was gone. Not gone in the sense of him leaving me five years ago to go on the mission that changed his life forever gone, but actually gone. Dead gone.

Elaria and Clara were talking to me, my guess it was to see if I was okay although I couldn't hear them. I was staring at the birds in the sky, their simple life of finding food and bringing it back to their young. How free they must feel up there, flying around in the sky without a care in the world.

Before I knew it, I was on my feet again and walking through Silvermoon, taking the back alleys to avoid any prying eyes that saw two Alliance members walking around the city on their own free will. We had been walking for an amount of time I didn't register. They were still talking to me and amongst themselves whilst I was staring off into the distance, trying to take in everything that has just happened in the past few hours.

We arrived at my parents house, taking me up to my bedroom and leaving me there to grieve, yet I couldn't. Time had passed by quickly since Clara had told me what she believed was Athrodar's unavoidable fate. What had taken almost half an hour of walking felt like a couple of seconds to me, the whole trip was filled with them talking and me ignoring them. Not that I had done it deliberately, I hadn't heard them, only seeing their mouths moving had indicated to me that they were talking.

* * *

Two days had passed since he was presumed dead. I felt nothing. No tears had come to stain my face, no screams of anguish came from my throat at the likelihood of Athrodar's demise, no breaking of spirit and soul as I had expected there would be at the idea of him dying, I felt nothing at all.

Everyone else who knew him however had mourned for him, plans for a ceremony to honor him were underway and people were coming far and wide, rangers I had never seen before and citizens that he had apparently saved from attacks came by to give their condolences to me and his mother. Yet I felt nothing.

As we burnt the ceremonial funeral pyre, one that had no body on, everyone was standing in silence around it, quietly saying a prayer or two as it burnt. Whilst they were standing around the pyre I began to walk away from it. Elaria had noticed me walk away and ran towards me. "Hey, where are you going?" She asked. "It's Athrodar's funeral, the man you love and you're leaving!?" She grabbed my arm.

"Let go Elaria." I said calmly.

"Not until you tell me where you're going." She stopped walking, still holding on to my arm.

I sighed. "I'm going home." I tried to release her grip from my arm. "Let go of me Elaria."

She let go of my arm but continued to walk with me. "Talk to me Thal." She began. "You haven't grieved for him since we arrived here, what's going on?"

"Nothing, now leave me alone."

Yet she was adamant. "Don't even try to feed me such crap, I know there's something. Tell me." She demanded, grabbing on to my arm again and pulling me away from the path.

"Leave me alone!" I snapped. Although I didn't feel anything after the death of Athrodar, I suddenly felt angry with Elaria.

She grabbed my other arm and pushed me up against a tree. "Talk to me Thal! You can't tell me you're fine after all that has happened!" Her voice was louder than I had ever heard it.

"What do you want me to say!? That I miss him? That my world has come to an end as soon as we left him there with the Scourge!?" Then it hit me, the wave of emotion that had been locked away since we left Sunfury Spire had been let loose as I began to argue with Elaria.

"Yes!" She snapped. "I want you to open up! You haven't shown any sign of emotion since he died, Thal, It's not healthy!" She studied my face carefully and saw the change of expression on it. "Thal?"

"I miss him.." I said weakly, my voice full of emotion. "Elaria.. I miss him." I looked up at her whilst tears rolled down my cheeks. "I didn't want to believe he was gone..."

As she put her arms around me, I broke down into a long cry. "Shh.. I know.." She began to rub my back. "Just let it out." I noticed she was crying too, clearly she had been holding it in for as long as she could.

After a few minutes we began to calm down. "It's never going to be the same, is it?" I asked her

She shook her head. "I don't think it will."

Our lives were changed once again by Athrodar.


	15. Chapter 15

**Risen from Death**

Anger, that's all I felt now. Anger and hatred for everything around me. Two weeks had passed since I was raised into undeath and trained to be one of these 'Death Knights'. My instructor, Razuvious, had trained a group of twenty initiates along with me. The training was bloody and relentless, three quarters of us had died, those who had survived had been sent to the heavily armoured figure on the balcony, The Lich King.

He began to speak to us whilst looking over the battlefield below. "You have passed training and have become worthy of the title, Death Knight." He gestured with his sword, aiming it at the battlefield below. "Go forth, my champions, and rain death and destruction on our enemies." We bowed to him. Turning to leave I heard his voice in my head. "Stay... Nightblade..."

I stopped and faced him, kneeling down as he walked over to me. "My king." I said. He dropped his hand to my eyeline, making a gesture for me to stand up.

"You have shown promise in training, Nightblade, a powerful weapon you will become." He lift his sword, Frostmourne, and placed the tip of it on my chest. "Take this gift and lead my troops into battle. You will be second in command of my new Death Knights, under Highlord Mograine." A surge of power had ran through me as the sword touched.

I gasped at the rush of new power coursing through me, falling to one knee before quickly getting back up to my feet. I looked up at him, eyes ablaze with this new found power. "Your will be done, my king." I saw a smile creep along his features, pleased that I had accepted his gift.

"Go, General, purge these lands of the Scarlet Crusade." He gestured to the battlefield below. "Go now in my name."

* * *

I had not slept in a month, I had not eaten in a month, these things were pointless to me now. The only hunger I had was the hunger to inflict pain on the enemies of my lord, on the Scarlet Crusade. I had an overlook of the battlefield in front of me. My troops, slaughtering the members of the fanatical group and raising them into fodder to be used against their former brothers and sisters. The siege of New Avalon had begun.

A figure had made its way towards me from behind, without turning to see who had made their way to me I already knew who it was, my second, Stefan Vadu. "General." He started.

I sighed. "What?" I was angry. Not at him, just in general. Something most Death Knights felt after being raised from the dead.

He hesitated for a second before continuing. "We have a problem." He awaited my reaction, I gave him none, so he carried on. "They have created a fortification at the beach, we're losing men quicker than they are. The tide of this battle is turning rapidly."

This frustrated me, our momentum was slowing down because of a fortification at the beach? No, this will not do. I looked over my shoulder, noticing Stefan was standing beside me, three paces back. "This disappoints me Stefan. We should have had that beach secure days ago, stopping any retreat they had planned."

"What do you propose we do General?" He asked. I knew what needed to be done, though I wished it would be used later in this campaign against the Scarlet Crusade, not now.

"I believe it's time I paid them a little visit." A smile crept on along my face. "Call back our forces, inform Mograine of what I intend to do. We attack at nightfall." He left shortly after.

I made my way off the overlook and towards my quarters. Upon reaching them, I made for the weapon rack I had above a desk covered in maps. Taking out two runeblades and sheathing them on my back before making my way over to the armour stand. Unlike most Death Knights, my armour was a dark blue, clouds of ice falling from my armoured shoulder guards.

Night fell as we began to make our advance on their final stand before New Avalon. I was to lead the charge, by my own will, to soften up their defences before our full might came crashing down on them like a hammer on an anvil. A path of frost formed below my feet when I wore this armour, not needing to use a spell like most Death Knights, it was accustom only to this set. If I didn't kill them with my sword, the sheer coldness that I gave off with it on would have.

"Stefan." He came to my side aloft his Deathcharger, an undead horse plated with armour that all Death Knights had to raise themselves. "I will be sending a small force with me to make the initial assault, wait for my signal before sending the rest in."

Bowing his head, "What will this signal be, General?" he asked.

I let out a laugh that would send even the bravest soldier cowering. "You will see."

I left with ten of the best Death Knights under my command to start the assault. I had confidence in the knights I brought along with me, knowing we would get the task done with no casualties. As we approached their defences I saw a lack of guards at their posts. "Shame," I said to my company. "I was hoping for a fight. No matter, onwards to victory!"

We charged into the breach point, slaughtering soldiers left and right before they knew we were there. The sand on the beach was quickly becoming covered in blood, but with no bodies to lay claim to the red liquid. They were risen into Scourge minions as fodder to throw at the Scarlet Crusade advancing on our position.

"Hold the breach point!" I commanded. "I need to send the signal for the rest of the forces." They obeyed my command, through loyalty or plain cowardice at what I would do to them if they refused, I did not know. Or care. As they began to make a defensive perimeter around me, I focused all my energy on the signal. It had to be a big signal, one that would strike fear into our enemies, showing we had begun our assault and were already through their first layer of defence.

After a few seconds, my signal went out into the sky. The signal was a massive skeletal dragon that roared death and blue flames, it was only an illusion, but was enough to signal our main force to push through to the beach head. Making my way back to the front lines, I heard the sound of a war horn. Our war horn. Shortly followed by the sound of a hundred boots charging down a hill and on to the beach. War screams coming from many of the Death Knights as they made their way towards the fighting.

As our forces met theirs, I could see we were going to win this fight, it was just a matter of when. We breached their second line of defence with ease, cutting down and raising their soldiers to bolster our army on this push to claim the beach. In the midst of battle, one of their soldiers called out to me. "Abomination!" He exclaimed. "I shall split your head from your shoulders. Come, face me!" The confidence in this one was amusing, his death shall be quick.

I laughed. "You amuse me, human. Let's see how long you last against my blade."

His charge was careless. Raising his claymore over his head, exposing his chest, I stepped aside as he ran towards me. Back now facing me, I lunged my sword through it, feeling flesh, muscle and bone before my sword had buried itself in him. My lunge was quick, quicker than he expected, not giving him time to turn around and face me. "L...uck." He spat blood before falling to the floor.

I sniggered, turning his body over and placing the tip of my blade, still covered in his blood, to his chest. "You will make an interesting play thing." His body twitched, letting out a scream before laying stiff on the floor. Moments later he began to move, rising to his feet in front of me, standing up straight as he saluted to attention.

Whilst the fighting was still going on around me, I summoned over two skeletal warriors. They approached the newly risen soldier standing to attention in front of me, placing chains around his hands and escorting him away to the floating fortress behind us. Acherus: The Ebon Hold is its name, home to hundreds of Death Knights in training, our base of operations. He didn't struggle when they began to escort him away, seemingly knowing his fate was already written for him.

Minutes later the battle was won. We had destroyed their force that had defended the beach with their lives, only to be risen to fight against what they died for. Stefan strolled up beside me, holding a banner covered in blood, that of the Scarlet Crusade, in his hand. "The beach is ours, General."

I smirked. "Good." I turned to face him. "Let the battle for New Avalon begin."

Roars of cheering spread among the army, my army. As I began to make my way back to Acherus, I heard a whisper in my head. It was him, The Lich King. "You have done well, General, soon the Scarlet Crusade will be wiped off the face of this earth and risen to fight for me as minions of the Scourge."

"Your will be done, my King." I muttered. Low enough that nobody else could hear me except him. "New Avalon shall be yours within a fortnight."

"This pleases me, General. Return to me and you shall be rewarded for your efforts."

As I made my way back towards Acherus, I was approached by a figure I have come to know only as an ally more than a friend. Prince Valanar is his name. He's one of the San'layn, Darkfallen. Blood elves risen to fight for the Lich King. Twisted into vampiric beings that feed on the flesh, blood and souls of their victims. He looked at me expressionless as the majority of his face was covered in a crimson mask. "I take it you won, General?"

Although an ally, I didn't trust him. "You are correct." I continued past him, making my way to a magical pad on the floor that would teleport me up to Acherus. Upon arriving in the fortress, I was approached again by someone. This time it was Highlord Mograine.

He made his way over to me and clapped one hand on my shoulder. "General," He began. "I believe congratulations are in order." I stared at him blankly. The task to take the beach was something we could have avoided if we cut them off from it before they made it into a defensive position. "The armies of the light shall fall before the cold grip of death," He continued. "Once we have taken care of this New Avalon issue, we will turn towards Light's Hope Chapel and cleanse that place of the light. Only darkness will survive the Plaguelands."

"For the Lich King." I replied, nodding and moving towards the area in which our king stands watch over the battlefield. "I have returned, victory in your name." I stood to attention behind him as he glanced over his shoulder at me.

"Good. Come." He stepped through a gateway that appeared as he spoke. I followed shortly after. As I stood through it, my vision was impaired by the sudden brightness of the area around me. Snow. We were in Northrend, in Icecrown. As I focused on where the Lich King was, I had realised we were atop of giant glacier. "Welcome, General, to Icecrown."

He strode up to a throne made of ice and sat down. I climbed up the steps and knelt in front of him, three steps down from the throne. "What are your orders, my king?"

He laughed. It was a powerful laugh, shaking the icicles around the platform that was his throne room. "What I need of you, General, is to command my forces in Northrend whilst I am dealing with this Scarlet problem." At first I was confused, not understanding what he was asking me. Surely I was the best candidate to deal with this "Scarlet problem" whilst Highlord Mograine could command the forces in Northrend.

I didn't argue with his decision. "As you command, my king."

He stood up from his throne and I stood up too. He walked over towards me and placed a hand on my shoulder. At first the gesture was strange, then what he was doing had hit me. Power coursed through my veins, much like the first time I had been given power. This time however, it felt different. I felt stronger.

As he lift his hand away from me, I looked at him with a clearer vision than I had before. "Rise General and command my forces in Northrend." He was grinning, looking at something behind me. As I looked around, I saw a wall of ice had formed around us. Something tugged inside me, telling me I had created this wall of ice. "Such power..." He muttered.

"Such power that will be used against your enemies, my king." I responded.

"Our enemies. From here on you will be my second, my Prince of Death." He rose to his full height, proud of what had just transpired in front of him. "Go, show the living creatures of Northrend the power I have bestowed upon you."

* * *

Months had passed since he left Icecrown, leaving me in charge of the forces on this continent. The cleansing of the living creatures had been going to plan. Flames of civilizations that have been around for decades had been extinguished under my boot. Survivors scattered to the coast in fear of my power. Anger and hatred of them were my only motives for such crimes, not that I cared. From Icecrown to Dragonblight. Borean Tundra to Zul'Drak, my armies of Scourge had covered most of the continent. Everything was going to plan.

That's when someone I wasn't expecting to see had come into my field of view. Rising from the throne that belonged to him, I got up and made my way to him. The Lich King had arrived unexpectedly in Icecrown. "My king." I started. "I wasn't expecting you to arrive so soon. Were we victorious at Light's Hope?"

He walked past me, anger and pain showed in the way he acted, I knew something had happened that didn't go to plan. "I underestimated that Paladin." He spat, gritting his teeth. "Mograine survived the assault and aided that champion of light, we have failed in cleansing the Plaguelands." He slammed his fist into the arm of his throne, cracking and chipping off a bit of ice.

I knelt down in from of him. "Send me to take care of the traitor Mograine. I will teach everyone what it means to betray you, my king." I had meant this. What had coursed through me was normally anger and hatred, now it was fury and rage at the idea of Mograine betraying us. "Send me and I will cleanse this world of the light myself."

"No, my prince, I need you for another task."

I stayed kneeling. "Whatever your command is, I will see it done."

"What I need of you is to bolster our defences in the areas we occupy. The assault on our shores will soon be upon us, the armies of the Alliance and Horde have begun their preparations." He stood up and walked to the edge of the platform that was his new throne room. "When they bring the fight on to our lands, we shall show them the meaning of the word Scourge."

* * *

A couple more months had passed since the failure in taking Light's Hope. He was not in the best of moods after that, spending most of his time wondering the halls of the newly built Icecrown Citadel, creating powerful Scourge minions that will reside in the halls, ironically defending the citadel with their lives. The Darkfallen had moved in to one of the wings, commanding over the Scourge forces whilst I was busy erecting the defences of our lands.

As I made my way through Borean Tundra, I came across something that I wasn't expecting. A fortress had been built on the shoreline, Alliance banners scattered around the walls and front gates. Glancing to the right I saw another fortress nearby. Horde Wind Riders flying around the keep. Both fortresses had been built in a matter of weeks, the length of time since my last trip to Borean Tundra, without being attacked by the armies of the Scourge.

A sharp blow on a horn rung in the air, followed by a draw gate dropping to the floor and knights atop of horses running out from the Alliance fortress. They had noticed me nearby. I quickly scanned my surroundings, finding a small graveyard and hastily made my way towards it. Luck was on my side as I began to raise the dead from their sleep. Before they could cut me down, twenty minions had risen in front of me, blocking their charge and allowing me time to draw my weapons.

I span the blades around my hands in a way that showed I was ready for whomever came at me. I had been dying for a fight for weeks, not having one for that long had been eating at me as my hunger for dealing pain was growing exponentially.

The first one made it through the small makeshift force in front of me, still atop his horse as he began to swing at me. Not knowing who I was became the biggest mistake of this soldiers life. As I parried his lackluster swing, the air around us had gotten colder whilst the floor below us had began to turn to ice as I started to reveal who I was to these knights. "You've made a grave mistake, soldiers of the Alliance. Funny how confidence can betray you when you least expect it." I swung one of my blades at the knight who was in front of me, cleanly breaking his sword in half as he tried to parried my attack.

The ice that had formed under the rest of the Alliance force had sprung up at them in spikes, impaling their horses, travelling further up to impale them shortly after. As the last one fell limp against the ice that kept him on his horse, I sheathed my weapons and began to raise my hands slowly. I was reanimating the corpses of the fallen knights, raising them into service of the Lich King.

As I looked over the horizon, I took in the sight of the two fortresses that had been erected on our shores without us knowing. A fatal mistake on my part. The war for Northrend had begun.


	16. Chapter 16

**Besieged**

They had been here for almost a month now. It had been a day since I was attacked by Alliance soldiers and I was on the way to get reinforcements to lay siege to both factions fortresses simultaneously, cutting off any chance of either side helping each other. That's when I had been approached by a rider in black. At first I couldn't make out who it was so I drew one of my blades which startled the rider for a second before he carried on riding towards me.

As he got closer I noticed the greying skin and torn robes. He was a necromancer. He pulled on the reins of his horse, bringing it to a stop before climbing down. I saw his face and knew something had happened. "My prince." He addressed me by my title, something I was getting used to. He extended out his clenched hand. As he opened it I saw what he had in it, a message rune. This was a stone that was magically enhanced with a vision of some sort that would relay a message in your mind as you activated it.

Taking the rune from his hand, I took one more look at the necromancer and noticed it was the same necromancer who had captured me all those months ago in Eastern Plaguelands. Such a thing would have bothered me in life, but in death I saw him as a minion I could command to spread darkness over the lands of the living in the name of our king. Activating the rune, I was plummeted into darkness before being shown what looked like Howling Fjord. Except there were forces there that didn't belong to us, they were forces of Horde and Alliance that had landed there as well.

The message was brief but had given enough information for me to understand what had happened. Not only did they set up camp in Borean Tundra, but they had also landed and set up camp in Howling Fjord. Fury and coursed through me, causing me to send shards of ice flying in all directions as I clenched the message rune hard enough for it to shatter to dust in my hand. "How could this happen!" I snapped. "What were the Vrykul doing to allow such a thing! Where was Prince Keleseth, he's was supposed to make sure we were secure in the Fjord!"

Utter rage ran through me and before I had time to draw it in, I plunged both blades into the stomach of the necromancer who stood in front of me. As I realised what I had done, nothing unpredictable seeing as I was fuelled by anger and hatred, I withdrew my blades from the stomach of the dead necromancer, sheathing them and casting a reanimating spell to bring him back from the dead. As he rose to his feet he looked at me, the expression on his face showed he was seemingly annoyed. "A little warning next time." He brushed snow off his robes before getting back on his horse and riding off.

I stood there for hours trying to take in everything that had happened in the past few weeks for us to miss both the Alliance and Horde's arrival on our frozen wasteland. The cold of this place didn't bother me as it would have in life, I stood still in the same place without moving as if I were back in Eversong woods.

After hours alone to my thoughts, I was approached by a small group of nerubians that I had apparently summoned. "What issss your will, my prinsssse...?" Their leader asked.

I looked at the spider, "Gather your armies and take them to Borean Tundra." I began. "We have some unwelcome guests on our shores to the south. Show them that they're not welcome on our lands... alive."

I dismissed them shortly after, making my way to Howling Fjord in the meantime. I was going to pay a visit to Utgarde Keep, find that Darkfallen dog and listen to his excuse on why he let the Alliance and Horde land on our shores.

The trip to Utgarde Keep had taken two days, along the way I had gathered a small force to take with me. It wasn't much, a couple of necromancers, ghouls and some nerubians. Enough to inform Prince Keleseth of my arrival before I had even set foot into the keep. Much like his brother, Prince Valanar, I didn't trust this Darkfallen. Though good at what they do, there was always an air of mystery about the San'layn, their Blood-Queen only taking commands the Lich King himself. All whilst going about their own business in the meantime.

"Ah, Prince Athrodar." He began, walking down the steps of the keep as I began to walk up them. "What brings you to Howling Fjord." His tone of voice was calm. "And so far away from home? Did something happen?"

I glared at the Blood Prince, "You know why I'm here. Did something happen? Why don't you tell me." My temper was flaring at such a stupid question. He stared at me for longer period of time than I was comfortable with. "Well!?" I snapped.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. I've been going about my duties here without a problem, the only surprise was seeing you here." He sounded genuine enough.

"You mean to tell me you didn't notice the Alliance and Horde had settled on our shores? The shores you were instructed on keeping secure so they wouldn't do exactly that." The air around us was getting cold as I saw ice forming along the walls of the keep, something that happened when I was angry. Something that happened often.

"I had not noticed them land, my Lord. How bad is it?" How bad is it? He was asking me how bad it was!? If he wasn't so valuable to us, I would have cut his head from his shoulders right there and then.

"They have open ports to ship soldiers in, they've been on these shores for at least a week and you're telling me how bad it is? This is something you should have already dealt with!" The steps to the keep were becoming frozen over in ice, the chains along the side were already frozen solid whilst icicles had formed over the doorway that weren't there minutes before. "Deal with this Keleseth. Don't make me come back here to deal with it myse-." The distinct fire of a ballista had rung out whilst I was talking.

Looking towards the sound, I knew I was correct in my assumption as a giant bolt came flying towards the keep. "Get inside!" I commanded. Following my orders, everyone outside had began to retreat back into the keep. I looked at Keleseth as we shut the doors behind us, "Tell me you know the defenses of this place." I asked him.

"Well enough to know we will be safe in here until our reinforcements arrive." He said, not trusting his own words. "I hope."

I sighed, placing my hands on the doors of the keep. Focusing on the doors, I began to coat them with layer after layer of ice, securing this entrance from any oncoming attacks. Moving away from the door, I began to search for an exit in case the worst should happen.

I searched for a couple of hours, finding a passage that would lead outside. Unfortunately that passage was at least fifty feet high, making any plan of escaping on foot fall flat before I had time to conjure it. I let out a frustrated groan, "We're trapped in here." I said to no one in particular.

Returning to the Keleseth, I found he was going over maps with his small council of Vrykul in a room I figured to be the main hall. Upon seeing me, he knew what I had found. Nothing. "Make yourself comfortable, my lord. You're going to be in this keep for sometime."

"How long exactly?" I asked. "How long will we be able to hold out from their assault?"

"Are you afraid of dying... again?" He asked mockingly. "I would have thought the 'Prince of Death' would be fine with a little siege. Or was it all an act?" I couldn't see his facial expressions due to the crimson and gold mask he was wearing, like the rest of his accursed race.

I chuckled. "Are you mocking me? Is that really the best you can do, leech?" I was daring him on to continue his little game, hoping he would so I could teach him the meaning of fear.

He didn't rise to the bait, although I had really wanted him to. I needed something to entertain me in this siege, who knows how long it would take for it to end.

* * *

Eight days had past since the beginning of the siege. Food stores were running low, apparently the Vrykul like to have big feasts before a fight. Something they didn't count on however, was how long this siege would take. They had their feast four days ago now, something that seemed like a good plan to them at the time, now something they regret doing.

I began to make my way to the upper levels of the keep. As I climbed to the top of the keep and towards the passage that led outside, I was nearly knocked off my feet by something I wasn't expecting. A gryphon rider had swooped down to take me out as soon as I opened the door, ducking out the way he swung his hammer at me. I drew my blade as quickly as I could, only getting it halfway out the sheath before the hammer had knocked me clean off my feet. I tumbled close to the edge of the platform before regaining my footing.

Looking around I saw recently slain Vrykul lay everywhere out here. I snapped my head up in the air at the sound of a screech, the gryphon rider had come around for a second attempt at killing me, however this time I was ready for him. I raised one my hands and pointed it at the him. The action was shortly followed by a flurry of icicles flying out towards the rider, impaling his gryphon several times and causing it to veer towards the keeps wall, smacking into it hard before falling a few yards in front of me.

I made my way over to the rider, drawing my blade to slay him there and then. At least that was the plan. What I didn't consider was him not being alone out here, as I was alone out here. Before I could pierce his flesh with my blade, I was knocked back by a bolt of lightning that had appeared out of nowhere. Flying backwards several feet and crashing into the wall of the keep, I looked up and saw several gryphons making their way towards me, accompanied by their riders which I had made out to be Wildhammer Dwarves.

As I began to get back up onto my feet, I was under fire from spears that had came from behind me. But when I turned around to see where they had came from, nobody was there. Looking up I was Wyverns swooping down towards me. The Horde were here too. I made to retreat back into the keep for my own safety, the odds of my taking out all of these flying units were too heavily in the category of my own death more than theirs.

As I got close to the doors of the keep, a rope had been lassoed around me, shortly followed by a paralysing electrical shock. I fell to my knees as the rope began to tighten around me, making it impossible to get free without help. "We've got one!" Yelled a dwarf, the tone in his voice was that of delight. "Bring him back to the Highlord, he will know what to do with him." Came another. Before I could put up a fight I was shocked again, falling unconscious shortly after.

I hadn't slept since being risen from death, so this experience was not something I had been accustom to for some time. The darkness I had been plunged into against my own will had plagued me with what I understood as memories and dreams. I couldn't make out what I was seeing at first, everything was too bright to register. After a while everything began to flash past like a slide show of greens, yellows and reds. I had gathered I was seeing memories of my past life, my life before death.

I hadn't been in the welcoming embrace of darkness for long. As I woke up I found I was chained up to a chair in the middle of a dark room. I knew I wasn't getting out of this chair on my own, yet I still tried to test the strength of these chains, pulling on them with all my strength to break free. "Save your strength, Death Knight." Came a familiar voice, one I could not place.

I growled at the voice. "Show yourself, shadow dweller." I looked around to the best of my ability, but my vision was impaired by a spell. I could only see what was directly in front of me, which had been nothing. "Where are you!" I snapped.

The voice let out a low laugh. "Why would I show myself to you? Like you said, I'm a shadow dweller." Upon closer inspection, I realised the voice had belonged to a woman. It beginning to eat at the back of my mind. I knew that voice! But from where? "No, I think I will be staying in the darkness." She said.

Knowing I wouldn't win that argument, I chuckled. "Coward."

She scoffed. "If you say so."

"I do say so. I think you're afraid of me, woman, that's why you're hiding."

She laughed. "Afraid of you? You're chained up."

"Then why not come closer so I can see your face."

"That's not how this works. You don't give commands or get granted wishes, Death Knight. How new are you to this?"

Now I laughed. "I'm more experienced in this than you think." There was silence for a few seconds. "Coward."

She said nothing after that, so I carried on talking to her, trying to figure out the familiar voice. "Come on, I won't bite. Let me see the face of the person who keeps me captive." She wasn't budging.

"What's wrong, cat got your tongue? Too afraid to even speak to me now? Some interrogator you are... To afraid to even let me see your face." I was trying to bait her out of the shadows so I could match a face with the voice. "Let me make your life easier. You let me see your face and I tell you who I am."

That seemed to get her attention as I heard her move from where she was standing. "Who you are?" She asked.

"Yes, surely you'd like to know who you've captured."

She began to walk closer to me, "You think I don't know who you are, Death Knight?"

I knew she didn't have a clue, otherwise she wouldn't throw around the words 'Death Knight' carelessly. "I believe you have no idea on who I am."

She stepped closer, allowing me to see an outline of her figure. "You know nothing of what I know, you're just a lowly minion of the Scourge."

"Is that so, she elf?" That caused her to stumble back a bit, not knowing I could see her.

Regaining her balance, she stood at the spot and began to stare at me. "You know I'm an elf, now let me know a little about you. Who are you?"

I let out a dark chuckle. "Your worst nightmare, my dear." I began to cackle after, knowing she had nothing on me.

She groaned in frustration and made for a weapon I didn't know was there until I heard it unsheathe from its scabbard. That's when I heard the door to the room crash open and a voice boomed out the name of the elf that was about to make her way towards me. "Elaria! Stop!" The voice commanded.

The name had sent a shock of pain through me as if I had been stabbed, I knew that name. Quickly adding the voice and body to the name, I was trying to figure out who she was "Elaria..." I muttered.

"What...?" She replied, a little shocked at my tone.

"I know that name..." I was confused at what I was saying. I knew the name and voice, yet my memory wasn't serving me well. I couldn't place why I knew her. "Why do I know that name..?" I asked myself out loud.

She dropped the dagger on the floor, snapping me out of my train of thought. I looked up to see a pair of glowing eyes staring back at me, followed by a familiar face, a tear was running down it. "Athrodar?" She asked me.

I narrowed my eyes at her, "How do you know my name?"

"No... But... You're supposed to be dead... We..." Her voice was breaking.

I looked down at the floor. "You're right.. I am dead... I died that day.. Though not in the plaguelands."

"What do you mean? Did they..." She couldn't finish her sentence.

"Capture me? Yes.. Though my death was swift, don't worry."

"This shouldn't have happened... None of this should have... We shouldn't have left you there to die.."

"It's okay Elaria, I forgive you.. Though I cannot forgive myself for the things I have done."

She put her hand on mine before quickly taking it away. "You're cold... Deathly cold..."

I chuckled lightly, "I didn't notice... I don't feel much any more. Only anger and hatred." I clenched my fists.

She began to cry, having realised the reality I have been facing for close to a year now. "Oh Athrodar... You're dead.."

I groaned at the sight. "Of course I'm dead, stupid girl. Risen from death to serve my king." I began to straighten my back. "Risen to serve by his side as his second, as his Prince of Death."

The last sentence had shocked her to the core, making her stand up and back away as quickly as she could before she was plunged back into the shadows. "No..." She muttered. "Not you..."

I laughed. "Surprised?" I asked. "If you knew me in life, you'd know I would have made a very powerful minion of the scourge if turned. Something that has become a reality as of late."

"We can change that.. The Horde can welcome you into their ranks along with the other Death Knights."

"How naïve of you, I am not one of those underlings. Their connection to my lord was too weak to survive that battle at Light's Hope." I shook my head. "Severed by a little bit of light... Pathetic. They should have been slaughtered for such weakness."

She didn't reply after that.

"Gone silent again girl? Good... Maybe I don't have to listen to the annoying sound of crying."

The room was still silent until I heard the door to the room slam shut. I began to laugh as she ran out the room, but I wasn't as alone as I thought. A flash of holy light had struck me, causing immense pain to shoot through me as if I was being burned alive. Yet I continued to laugh. More spells began to hit me in quick succession before ending out in one long concentrated beam of light. Yet my laughter grew in volume, though I grit my teeth at the pain.

Hours passed of this torture before I gave out to the pain. The first hour was filled with laughter and insults at the being who was causing me such pain. The final two however were filled with my screams of agony as I couldn't hold out any longer. They were hitting me with spells until I had passed out, only to continue once I had woken up. They asked questions every now and then to me, only to be met with a spit to the face or a roar of denial.

The fourth time I had woken up felt different to the other times I had woken up. This time I felt weaker, much weaker. As if I had been drained of all my energy whilst I was sleeping. Looking around the room, I could see candles were lit around the place, illuminating the entire room and giving me access to my surroundings. I had noticed three figures standing around one corner of the room talking amongst themselves.

I began to move one of my arms which made the chain rattle. The three figures all turned around to look at me. I recognised two out of the three of them, the first being Elaria. Apparently she stayed around after finding out who I was. The second was Highlord Mograine. If I had to guess, he was informing Elaria and the third figure on who I was and what I most likely had been through. That brought me on to the third figure. He was dressed in simple brown linen robes, graying hair and beard yet looked like there was strength to him. The light radiated around him more powerfully than I had seen from anyone else.

I locked eyes with him for as long as I could before my head felt heavy. Dropping my head, I began to laugh lightly. "What's so funny, Death Knight?" The third man asked.

"I was tortured by an old man. An old man so connected to the light he didn't even look tired after this whole ordeal." I shook my head to the best of my ability. "How are you, Highlord Fordring?"

What happened next was something I wasn't expecting.


	17. Chapter 17

**Freedom**

What normally had passed for a searing heat had turned into being dipped into lava and left there to burn over and over again. He had cast a shell of holy light over me, encasing me in it for what felt like an eternity. My scream of pain was so piercing that I felt my own ears burst from the sound. I could only wonder what pain I had done to them.

As all this was happening, I began to freeze the room around me. The excruciating pain I was enduring was bringing out power that I had hidden away. The chains on my wrists were beginning to freeze over and will give me the opportunity to shatter them if I continue this. The spell around me was becoming weaker as the room got colder, clearly this was affecting Highlord Fordring as much as my piercing screams were.

The onslaught of holy light was taking it's toll on me and soon my power waned. As the spell began to lift from me, I felt weaker than I was before. Understandable considering what I had just been through, yet I also felt different. I felt lost. As I began to look around the room once again, I felt a sudden grip of fear hit me from out of nowhere. "I believe it has worked Highlord." Came the voice of Darion Mograine. "I think you have broken him from his grip."

Broken me from his grip? He couldn't mean... "What... What do you mean?" I said weakly.

Darion began to walk over to me, "What do you feel? Do you feel anger and hatred? Or do you feel despair and guilt?"

It was the latter, but how did he know? "Despair and guilt... what does this mean?"

I looked over at Tirion and Elaria, both of them had a wash of relief come over their faces. "It means you are free from _his_ grip."

Free from his grip. Four words I didn't think would mean so much to me had been uttered. Was I really free from him? Will he no longer command me to do such atrocities as he had in the past? I closed my eyes, trying to take in everything that just happened. That's when I heard a feint laughter in my head. He was still there, though not as strong as he was when I was connected to him. "I can still hear him." I told them.

"Yes..." Began Mograine. "I can still hear him from time to time, taunting me. Even now I can hear his laughter in my head, mocking me from across the continent." I saw his fists clench as he spoke.

I looked down at the chains still bound around my wrists. "Can you take these off?" I asked, but nobody had moved or replied. I looked up at them and saw Elaria's face in pain. "Elaria?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry Athrodar... We can't let you go."

"What do you mean?" I began to regain my strength and started to yank on the chains. "Take these off me."

"Athrodar," Lord Fordring stood in front of me. "We can't let you leave so early after having your connection to him severed."

I looked only at Elaria the whole time. "Elaria... Please... Take these off me." Panic had raced through me, the room getting considerably colder. "Don't leave me here! Elaria please!" I was pleading with her, something very uncharacteristic of me.

She began to walk over to me. "Elaria, don't." Tirion warned her.

"But he's in pain!" She snapped. "I trust him, he won't do anything!"

"He's not thinking straight my child," He put a hand on her shoulder. "He has just been severed from his master. They've all been through this, if we let him go now he may do something he will later regret."

"Besides," Darion spoke up. "We need him for something else, something that will become key to our efforts in this place."

I stopped struggling, looking up at him and knowing what he meant. "You want to know the Lich King's defences, his troop movements, war plans and where to strike. Don't you?"

He nodded. "Precisely. Only then can we be sure that you won't return to him. Once you've given up his secrets and weaknesses can we be certain that you've broken free from him."

"I understand." I sighed, although not needing to breathe. "Very well, you will get what is needed."

* * *

I spent three days chained to this chair. Highlord's Fordring and Mograine entering the room I was left in to talk tactics and get information on the Lich King and his many armies. The task of remembering everything about him was a strenuous one, full of thinking and a lot of time to myself, when I had remembered something I told Elaria to get them. She was staying with me in the room for company. We spoke about Thalina and Clara, how they were coping with my death, what all three of them were doing now that I had been taken from them.

"How's life of an assassin been since I died?" I asked her.

"I wouldn't know." She replied. Needing more information I asked her what she meant, "I left the organisation you see, I couldn't stay there knowing you were gone. You were my partner."

"And Ravenholdt just left you leave? Memories and all?"

A small smile crept along her face. "He said he wouldn't take them. Apparently it was his gift to me for all those years of loyal service." She chuckled. "I'm thankful for them if I'm honest."

The room went silent again for almost an hour after that, I was trying to remember where I had left troops in Borean Tundra whilst Elaria took a brief nap against the door. That's when I remembered I had sent troops to Borean Tundra to deal with the Alliance and Horde fortresses there. A wash of despair ran over me. "Elaria."

She woke up, "Yeah?"

"Get them, quickly!"

Before I had time to tell her again she was already out the room, flying down the corridor at a high speed to get them. On her return, Highlord Mograine was with her. "What is it?"

"Borean Tundra." I began "The fortresses belonging to the Alliance and Horde are under attack from waves upon waves of Nerubians and other Scourge minions. Highlord, you need to inform both factions."

"Inform them of what?"

"They have tunnels nearby and necromancers in their grain fields. You need to tell them to deal with both these threats or they'll surely perish. Both to the plagued grain and the sheer numbers that have been sent there."

Without any further delay, Mograine had written up two letters to send to both factions in the Tundra. "This is valuable information Athrodar. You may be saving countless lives. If true, you may have turned the situation in Borean Tundra around."

"It's true Highlord, you have my word."

"We shall see." He left shortly after, presumably making his way to the Wildhammer Dwarves to deliver the messages.

As he left the room Elaria shut the door behind him and made her way to me, the look of worry had plagued her face. "You sent the Scourge to attack them, didn't you?"

I didn't reply, which was enough to answer the question, an answer she wished hadn't wanted to hear. "I'm sorry." It was all I could say.

"I... I don't blame you." Not sure if I could believe her, I didn't push any further. Clearly she was still trying to deal with the fact I wasn't fully in control of my actions.

The conversation, albeit short, had left a sour taste in the air. We didn't speak for the rest of the day, silence only being interrupted when Highlord Fordring had come into the room to get me to draw out the rest of the map of this continent. Although a tedious job, it was something for me to do.

* * *

Nightfall came, the living had fallen asleep whilst the dead were on patrol, safeguarding them from any attack that may or may not come. I however was the only dead not on patrol. A week had passed now since I had given them information on Borean Tundra, information that was in fact crucial to their survival as Highlord Mograine told me. I was still chained up to this chair however, in a dark room, surrounded by nothing but walls and a door.

I tried countless times to get to sleep, knowing that it was possible for the undead to sleep though not by the same means as the living, but to no avail. I had asked Highlord Mograine about it, to which he replied there was no need for the undead to sleep.

Elaria still kept me company for most of the day, talking to me about what she was up to now. "After I left the Ravenholdt Manor, Clara and I moved to Booty Bay shortly after."

"You two kids are still together then?"

She smiled. "Yes we are. Though we've had a few arguments here and there, we're happy."

"Oh? What arguments?"

She sighed. "Something stupid now, but I felt important at the time... after she convinced me I was wrong."

"You were wrong? But you're never wrong about anything. At least that's what you tell me."

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not and you'd better keep believing that." She shook her head. "Except for this one time."

"You have to tell me now. I want to hear about the one time you were wrong."

She groaned, placing her head in her hands. "Fine." Lifting her head from her hands, she looked at me and began to tell the story. "It's nothing special. As we were about to leave for Booty Bay, Clara had told me we should bring Thalina with us. Her idea was that we would keep her company after the death of you and to help her with anything she would need."

"Go on."

"We got into an argument over this. Clara wanted to bring Thalina with us to Booty Bay because it was a neutral town, one where we wouldn't have to have disguises to fit in. I however didn't like this idea as she has family back at Silvermoon, she could stay with them whilst we lived out there."

"Both valid reasons so far... Where's the part where you're wrong however?" I asked

"I'm getting to it, hold on. Clara said that we were her family, we have been since she came into our lives and something she would need more than her real family as we were the only real connection to you. You know, the one she found in Booty Bay."

I nodded my understanding, allowing her to carry on. "I however thought she needed her real family more than us, people that cared for her well being more than we ever could. That, and I didn't want to live in a house with a screaming baby."

I chuckled. "I can understand that, you... Wait what?"

Suddenly realising what she had said, she began to correct her sentence. "No no.. What I mean is.. Well you see..."

"She has a child?"

Knowing there was no use, she stopped trying to hide it any longer. "Yes... She does." She closed her eyes as if she was yelling at herself internally. "I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner."

"When?"

"Almost two months ago now." She looked me in the eyes. "Athrodar.."

Before she could finish her sentence, I cut in. "Has she found someone else?" A question I wasn't sure if I wanted an answer to or not.

She gave a caring smile. "No, she hasn't. Although she thinks we can't hear her, she prays to whatever deity she believes in that you would return to her alive and unharmed."

I laughed lightly, to the best of my abilities at least. "Something impossible now. Though I can still return to her."

"Athrodar..." She began. "The child.. She's yours."

My eyes widened at the statement. "How?" I asked. "I have been here for almost a year, how can it be mine?"

"She said she hasn't been with anyone else since she lost you. That can only mean that she's yours, surely."

I took a minute to soak it all in. "You... You said 'She'. I have a daughter? I'm.. I'm a father?" The idea was lost on me.

She gave a teary laugh. "Yeah." She sniffed. "You're a father." She made her way towards me and hugged me. "Congratulations... Dad."

"What's her name? Surely she has a name."

"Tanadia. Her name's Tanadia."

"Tanadia... Her name's Tanadia..." Then it hit me. The realisation that I was a parent in this world, in my condition. I pulled Elaria off me and gave her a look that made her uncomfortable.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Elaria.. I can't be a parent. Not like this." I gestured to myself. "I'm dead, Elaria.. I'm not parent material."

"Of course you are." She gave an unconvincing smile. "You'll be a great father to her."

Seeing right through the lie, I looked away from her. "You know that's not true. Maybe in life I would have been, but not any more."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I can't, I won't be a parent to her. I'm sorry Elaria but I won't be coming home."

She looked sad at my choice. "Where will you go then? You can't stay here, that's for sure."

"I can't?" Anger began to stir inside me as I glared at her. "Who's going to stop me? You?"

"No, I don't think I can stop you, not with how you are now." She sighed. "Just.. Just think about it for a while, our home in Booty Bay is welcome to you, if you do decide to come back."

"I got a lot to think about Elaria. They need me here for a while, I'm sorry." I looked down at the chains around me wrist. "Will you be telling her that I'm alive, for the most part?"

"You can tell her that yourself when you come back, and you will come back." She seemed confident in that regard.

"We'll see."


End file.
